Butchart Gardens Spring Prelude

January 15 till March 31, 2012 .

Not at all intended to make the rest of Canada Jealous (okay maybe a little) Yesterday Linda and I spend a lovely February 01, 2012 Sunny afternoon at Butchart Gardens to enjoy their Annual Spring Prelude display.

We also visited the Historical Settings in the Butchart Family Residence "Benvenuto". This beautifully maintained part of the home is only open for visitors during the winter season, and offers a wonderful insight in to the origins of the Quarry, which predate the development of the Gardens.

We enjoyed a lovely High Tea served in the Elegant Dining Room.

If You are able to Visit the Butchart Gardens, this time of the year, you will not be dissappointed otherwise, We hope you enjoyed our little Butchart Garden Spring Prelude Tour, and wish that your winter is also near its end....... and may many Spring days be upon you.....

Thinking about Greater Victoria Real Estate? ....... No Problem.

Peter and Linda Pfann's   Victoria Homes Now  Instant Property Access Service, keeps you informed about Greater Victoria Real Estate and Market Activity, including New Listings & Value Estimates.  

 This absolutely Free no hassle service asks you a few simple question and You will instantly receive access to all the Properties and Updates in Greater Victoria  and can be completely customized to your specific requirements.
This Pfanntastic "Victoria Homes Now" Service is Free, The Information is Invaluable,

Request Your Instant Access to Victoria Properties Right Now!

Saanich Peninsula, Single Family Homes Real Estate Market 2011 Year in Review
The Saanich Peninsula Is Located Just North of Saanich,  and Victoria, and contains Central Saanich, North Saanich and Sidney, the Victoria Airport and the BC Ferries Docks.

Reviewing Single Family Home Market Activity on the  Saanich Peninsula for 2011:

• 5 Fewer Listings on the Saanich Peninsula during the year, (only Central Saanich had more)
• 12 Fewer Sales on the Saanich Peninsula during the year, (only North Saanich Had 1 more)
• 45.58 % of all Listings Sold  on the Saanich Peninsula (down 1.14 % from 2010)
• The Average time on the Market for the Saanich Peninsula Homes that did sell increased by 7 days.

Reviewing Single Family Home Market Value Activity for the Saanich Peninsula for 2011:

• Average Sales Prices on the Saanich Peninsula Declined Modestly by little over 6.5%,
• The Median Sale Price on the Saanich Peninsula Declined by a bit over 2.7 %)
• The Spread between List & Sale Prices on the Saanich Peninsula Improved  Slightly (1.69 %)

• City of Victoria Single Family Homes Real Estate Market Review of 2011
• Oak Bay Single Family Homes Real Estate Market Review of 2011
• Esquimalt, Single Family Homes Real Estate Market 2011 Year in Review
• Saanich East, Single Family Homes Real Estate Market 2011 Year in Review  
• Saanich West, Single Family Homes Real Estate Market 2011 Year in Review 
• Saanich Peninsula, Single Family Homes Real Estate Market 2011 Year in Review   
• West-Shore, Single Family Homes Real Estate Market 2011 Year in Review.
• Greater Victoria Strata Homes,  Real Estate Market 2011 Year in Review 

Here is a link to the Victoria Real Estate Board Statistical Reports, published every month.

Planning to buy, sell, upgrade, downsize, invest in real estate or relocate to Greater Victoria, and need information about your present or new area of choice?....... No Problem.
Peter and Linda Pfann now offer a FREE Pfanntastic Internet Service, keeping you informed about Greater Victoria Market Activity, including New Listings & Value Estimates, This absolutely Free no hassle service is completely customized to your specific requirements.
We call it: Victoria Homes Now, and this amazing little tool will ask you a few questions, and provides you with an updated snapshot of the property type(s), location (s) and real estate market activity as per your requirements.
The Pfanntastic Victoria Homes Now Service is Free, The Information is Invaluable,

Request Your Instant Access to Victoria Properties Right Now!

Early Reminder for Saanich Kindergarten Registration for Children born in 2007
In order for your child to attend Kindergarten Starting September 2012,

Early Registration is required between January 30, and February 3, 2012 at the appropriate School in your Saanich School District Catchment.

School District 63, better Known as The Saanich School District
Covers the Communities of :

• The Northern parts of Saanich (starting just North of McKenzie)
• Central Saanich, and Saanichton
• Brentwood Bay
• North Saanich
• Sidney

The Saanich School District Website is at http://www.sd63.bc.ca/
The Saanich School District Office telephone number is (250) 652-7300.

Visit The Saanich School District 63 website, click on Schools and then School Locator to confirm your catchment area. (or click the map)

Please be sure to check all the registration details on the Saanich  School District # 63 Website at this link

 <!--StartFragment --> Check out the Kindergarten Registration Requirements for all Greater Victoria School Districts:

Victoria Kindergarten Registration (School District 61)

Sooke Kindergarten Registration (School District 62)

Saanich Kindergarten Registration (School District 63)

Thinking about Greater Victoria Real Estate? ....... No Problem.

Peter and Linda Pfann's   Victoria Homes Now  Instant Property Access Service, keeps you informed about Greater Victoria Real Estate and Market Activity, including New Listings & Value Estimates.  

This absolutely Free no hassle service asks you a few simple question and You will instantly receive access to all the Properties and Updates in Greater Victoria  and can be completely customized to your specific requirements.

Request Your Instant Access to Victoria Properties Right Now!

Butchart Gardens Victoria BC At Christmas

The Place To Be With The Entire Family 

Pfanntastic in Every Way

Welcome to a Pfanntastic Tour along the magical paths in Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC, If you have never enjoyed the Gardens during the Holidays, we hope you will enjoy our little tour, but if you have an opportunity, be sure to take a few hours on a cool crisp winter evening and buy some hot coco, or aple cider, and make your way along the story of the 12 days of Christmas.

We tried to do the Beautiful Butchart Gardens Justice, but there is just too much to see, both Linda and I are still in awe, and can't wait to go back.....

Merry Christmas from our little place in Paradise to you and your loved ones

5 Golden Rings

Happy Holidays and a Pfanntastic New Year

Planning to buy, sell, upgrade, downsize, invest in real estate or relocate to Greater Victoria, and need information about your present or new area of choice?....... No Problem.
Peter and Linda Pfann now offer a FREE Pfanntastic Internet Service, keeping you informed about Greater Victoria Market Activity, including New Listings & Value Estimates, This absolutely Free no hassle service is completely customized to your specific requirements.
We call it: Victoria Homes Now, and this amazing little tool will ask you a few questions, and provides you with an updated snapshot of the property type(s), location (s) and real estate market activity as per your requirements.
The Pfanntastic Victoria Homes Now Service is Free, The Information is Invaluable,

Request Your Instant Access to Victoria Properties Right Now!

Butchart Gardens Victoria BC At Christmas The Place to Be With the Entire Family

Linda and I just love attending local events, not only are they just plain Pfunn, but we always run into people we know and have not seen for way to long. You always learn and see interesting things, people or animals

One of our Favourites has to be The Saanich Fair, and this year we decided it was once again time to get out of the house and visit this years Fair festivities.

The Saanich Fair is Huge and the weather was perfect, a little breeze, nice temperatures and amazing conditions. Just because of the sheer size, it is really hard to see everything in one day, so this year we spend a little more time in the area of the Horses and in particular the Draft Horses.

We hope you enjoy our little slide show, and let us know what your favourite part of Saanich Fair 2011 was.

So many local companies, charities, organizations, families and governments support participate and contribute to the Saanich Fair, that it has truly become a reflection of the values, and commitment to our Southern Vancouver Island Communities.

Everybody smiles and has a Pfanntastic Time at the Saanich Fair, year after year, and we will be back next year again.

Here is a link to the Victoria Real Estate Board Statistical Reports, and published every month.

Planning to buy, sell, upgrade, downsize, invest in real estate or relocate to Greater Victoria, and need information about your present or new area of choice?....... No Problem.
Peter and Linda Pfann now offer a FREE Pfanntastic Internet Service, keeping you informed about Greater Victoria  Market Activity, includingnew listings, current and recent sales, price adjustments, statistics, graphs and a variety of additional handy real estate tools for your benefit. This absolutely Free no hassle service is completely customized to your specific requirements.
We call it Victoria Market Snapshot, and this amazing little tool will ask you a few questions, and provides you with an updated snapshot of the property type(s), location (s) and real estate market activity as per your requirements.                               
 The Pfanntastic Victoria Market Snapshot Service is Free,      The Information is Invaluable,     Request Your Victoria Market Snap Shot Right Now!

Central Saanich BC, Real Estate List Price vs. Sale Price

 Market Update By Neighbourhood Jan.-Aug. 2011.

The District of Central Saanich,  Year to Date Real Estate Market update by Neighbourhood.

Peter and Linda Pfann, are Realtors assisting local clients and from across the globe with buying, selling, investing and retiring in and around Greater Victoria, BC Canada since 1986 and we are pleased to provide you with the current market statistics for 3 specific property types.

• Central Saanich Single Family Homes
• Central Saanich Town-Homes and 1/2 Duplexes
• Central Saanich Condominiums

 The Central Saanich BC, property information  included is very area specific, however we do not recommend to use this information to establish the value of your property, as there are just too many details that influence the value of any one property.

 The Areas and Neighbourhoods Forming Central Saanich BC are :

 Brentwood Bay, Inlet, Island View, Keating, Martindale, Oldfield, Saanichton, Tanner, Turgoose, Willis Point, Central Saanich.

• Are You considering Buying, Investing in, Selling, Real Estate in Central Saanich BC? Please use our FREE Central Saanich BC,  MLS Market Update Service.
• Current Greater Victoria Real Estate Board Statistical Reports (courtesy VREB)
• Central Saanich BC, Resources (jobs, schools, health care, relocation, properties).
• Getting to know Central Saanich BC.

Central Saanich BC, Single Family Homes List Price vs. Sale Price To Date

 

Central Saanich BC, Condominiums List Price vs. Sale Price Year To Date

 Central Saanich BC, Town-Homes and 1/2 Duplexes List Price vs. Sale Price Year To Date

 Central Saanich BC, Real Estate List Price vs. Sale Price

 Market Update By Neighbourhood Jan.-Aug. 2011.

Saanich School District 63, Back To School Report, Near Victoria BC

There are 3 school districts in the Greater Victoria area, in an earlier article we covered the Victoria School District (district 61) which you can review from this link and The Sooke School District (District 62) for a complete review of the 3 school districts in the South Vancouver Island area and communities .

The Saanich School District likely covers the 2 nd. largest geographic area of the 3 South Vancouver Island School Districts, and has a mixture of both urban and rural areas to service, as new population growth and construction is not as fast or active as for example in the Sooke School District, the school going population is at best holding, and the Saanich district has challenges to keep all its schools open and fully updated etc. 


September 06, 2011 will be the first day of school but this is only a half day.

School District 63, better Known as The Saanich School District
Covers the Communities of

• The Northern parts of Saanich (starting just North of McKenzie)
• Central Saanich, and Saanichton
• Brentwood Bay
• North Saanich
• Sidney

The Saanich School District Website is at http://www.sd63.bc.ca/
The Saanich School District Office telephone number is (250) 652-7300.

Saanich School District 63, School Registrations Method, Dates and Times.

• Full Day Kindergarten Program Information and Links to the individual Schools are available here
• Elementary SchoolsInformation and Links to the individual Schools are available here
• Middle Schools Information and Links to the individual Schools are available here
• Secondary Schools Information and Links to the individual Schools are available here
• Alternative Schools Information and Links to the individual Schools are available here
• Distributed Learning School Information and Links to the individual Schools are available here
• French Immersion Schools Information and Links to the individual Schools are available here.
• Student Support, resources
  

• School Starting and release times are all noted here

• None Instructional Days are found here

We have also published access to the Fraser Institute reports on the quality of the schools in our area, please review these reports here.

 
School Bus System in the Saanich School District
The Saanich School District, as mentioned is very large and as such the School-bus system is an essential service for many parents and children.
Early Registration for the service is required, and for new and existing students contacting the following phone number will hopefully still be able to include you in this years schedule. (250) 652-7343.  
For registration forms, schedules and bus routes and times, please check this page on the Saanich School District Website.
personal note:
Personally we think the time has come for the Ministry of Education to consider the merger of the 3 Greater Victoria School Districts and allocate the saved resources in improved school and classroom services and experiences for the students.....
But that is not in the cards for the foreseeable future, so today we are faced with potential school closures in both the Victoria and Saanich Districts, while new schools are needed in the Sooke district......... Using school buses to transit student from one school district to the next and save millions of dollars in the process is obviously not happening.......

Planning to buy, sell, upgrade, downsize, invest in real estate or relocate to Greater Victoria, and need information about your present or new area of choice?....... No Problem.
Peter and Linda Pfann now offer a FREE Pfanntastic Internet Service, keeping you informed about Greater Victoria  Market Activity, includingnew listings, sales and price adjustments, statistics, graphs and a variety of additional handy real estate tools for your benefit. This absolutely Free no hassle service is completely customized to your specific requirements.
We call it Victoria Market Snapshot, and this amazing little tool will ask you a few questions, and will then provide you with a regularly updated snapshot of the property type(s), location (s) and real estate market activity as to your requirements.                               
 The Pfanntastic Victoria Market Snapshot Service is Free,      The Information is Invaluable,     Request Your Victoria Market Snap Shot Right Now!

Saanich School District 63, Back To School Report, Near Victoria BC.