New Team Photos for the Aaron Mazurek Real Esate Team Powell River

Thank you Simona for your time & talent to take these photos. We are really very happy with the results.

These photos were taken in the Klahanie Beach area. Just north of Powell River in Sliammon. The kids were having fun running around the beach and collecting odd things. We even saw a pod of grey-sided dolphins swimming by and a curious seal checked us out.

Aaron Mazurek & Neil Frost

Nicole Narbonne, Aaron Mazurek and Neil Frost

Aaron and Neil with our families

Coast guard and dolphins going by

Powell River Saturday Home Tour - March 31st

Mazurek & Frost
Saturday Home Tour
- We Sell Homes

Saturday Home Tour - Powell River

March 31, 2012

• 4404 Marine Avenue 12:00 - 12:10
• 6845 Courtenay Street 12:25 - 12:35
• 4308 Ontario Avenue 12:50 - 1:00
• 6907 Colburn Street 1:30 - 1:40

For 24hour recorded information about this tour:
CALL OUR 24HR INFO LINE 1-800-848-1615 extention #1717

LOCATION:

Westview and Cranberry Areas of Powell River, BC

PRICE RANGE

$139,000 - 245,000

This just in from the British Columbia Real Estate Association:

The Provincial Government of British Columbia today announced the HST/PST transition rules for housing during the return to the PST on April 1, 2013. You can find the government’s announcement here: http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2012/02/transition-measures-support-new-home-buyers-builders.html

Some of the key elements include:

-          The B.C. new housing rebate threshold will be increased to $850,000, effective April 1, 2012 with a maximum rebate of $42,500.

-          A provincial grant of up to $ 42,500 will be available for purchasers of new secondary vacation or recreational homes outside the Greater Vancouver and Capital regional districts priced up to $850,000, effective April 1, 2012.

-          For newly built homes where construction begins before April 1, 2013, but ownership and possession occur after, purchasers will not pay the seven per cent provincial portion of the HST. Instead, purchasers will pay a temporary, transitional provincial tax of two per cent on the full house price.

-          The temporary housing transition measures will be in place for two years, until March 31, 2015. The tax only applies to homes where construction begins before the transition date and ownership and possession occur after.

What does all of this mean? We are going to be starting the slow and painful process of changing from Harmonized Sales Tax back to the Provincial Sales Tax in British Columbia real estate transactions. It will be a learning experience in patience and math for everyone involved.

Draft contract language as well as frequently asked questions will be available on the BCREA website this week. This will be a great resource for REALTORS® and clients.

Happy Springtime Everyone!

Thank you! Our United Way fundraiser was a success!!

Our GREEN MEN/Tailgate/Balloon pooping United Way fundraiser on January 20th was a huge success. Coast Realty along with our partners: Rachelle Ford - RBC Mortgage Specialist and Rob Villani - Villani & Company.

We hired the Vancouver Green Men for the Powell River Kings Hockey Game and had a record setting attendance at the game of over 1400 fans!

Coast Realtors and staff along with Rob, Rachelle and RBC worked amazingly hard with great enthusiasm and created a wonderful event helped by the great music making of Scout Mountain Blue Grass Band!

We were able to raise $4000 for the United Way and have a lot of fun at the same time.

Winter Living in Powell River, BC

I know I have posted before that we really don't get much winter, but if you head for the mountains, you can still get your fill!

 These shots are a family outing on Mount Washington, about 35 miles from Powell River, on Vancouver Island.

The local news magazine, Powell River Living has issued a challenge of 42 wonderful winter activities around Powell River. Click to read the current issue!

no matter where you live, get out there and JUMP INTO WINTER!

For the past couple months (it feels like longer!) our office has been under renovation. The main office was reconfigured to accomodate the Realtors from two buildings all into one.

Wow! what a wonderful job they did too. Come by and visit some time, but here are some photos for anyone too far away to come see us at 4766 Joyce Avenue, Powell River, BC.

Don't forget as well, that we still have tickets to the Coast Realty Tailgate Party & Hockey Game Night! The big winner is the United Way of Powell River.

The reception area is looking really wonderful with a total facelift from floor to ceiling.

Neil Frost is already hard at work, even though he is only partially moved in, and Joan, our admin is programing the copier for us.

Come on by for a coffee and tour. The official opening will be in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

A Helping Hand in Powell River, BC

Liz Dick from the local radio station, 95.7 Sun FM has put out a plea for help for one of our neighbours and I am passing it on.

"Many of you have heard of the recent struggle a young member of our community is facing with a brain tumor.  Jasper Mohan, 14 years old, is currently at the Children’s Hospital undergoing chemo and has a very long, hard road ahead of him.  95.7 Sun FM is offering all businesses a unique way to help Jasper and his family. 

Sun FM will donate 2 HOURS of radio air time that you have the opportunity to bid on.  You (or a member of your staff) can fulfill your life long dream to be a Disc Jockey on the Radio!  Starting today and until January 31, the auction is on.  Two full hours are up for sale and if your business has the winning bid, you get to come on the air and co-host either the morning or afternoon show with Mark or Jason on Friday February 3.  You get to talk about your business, and more importantly you get to talk about how your business helps out the community in a big way.  Not only will you have a fun 2 hour experience, you will also be letting people know where they can donate to help Jasper’s family.  95.7 Sun FM has never offered this type of opportunity before, so don’t loose out, bid high and bid often! 

Friday February 3 is also called “Skating for Jasper”.  People will be coming to the Complex that evening to skate and donate to a trust fund set up for Jasper and his family to help with all their travelling and accommodation expenses.  You will be able to help build the excitement leading up to the event and therefore bring in more money for this fund raiser, as well as bring HUGE community awareness to your business.

Here’s the deal:  send me an email with your pledge, or go to www.957sunfm.ca and click 2 Hour Auction and enter what you want to bid.  We will contact you by phone to verify the amount of your bid.  Or faster yet, call us  at 604-485-4207.

Auction is on now and closes 4:00 PM January 31.  The highest monetary bid will be declared the winner.  95.7 Sun FM does not receive any payment for this auction, the entire winning bid will be deposited into the trust fund for Jasper’s family set up at Scotia Bank.

Opening Bid is $750.

Please forward this email out to everyone on your social network.  Powell River can rally again for a great cause!"

Why Facebook?

Why would I spend time on organizing a social media presence?

Will there be a time when I see a return on this investment of time, energy and resources?

If you have not already created a business page in Facebook, what are you waiting for? The fact is that most people spend more time on Facebook than any other site on the internet! They use it for more than just playing Farmville too.

Shopping, communication and community, researching purchases and more. If you are not advertising in Facebook on a local level, or at least maintaining a page with links to your website and a profile, you are missing a huge number of people who are frequently online.

The return on investment may be harder to track than other forms of advertising, but it is there! A social media presence gives your clients a chance to get to know another side of your character.

At the very least, the Facebook presence with quality links will strengthen your rank in the search engines.

What you post on Facebook is just as important as what you put on your blog, twitter and your own site. You need to be the local expert. But the social media aspect demands that you be approachable and friendly.

The nicest thing is that you don't need to be posting non-stop to make a good impression. In fact, the quickest way to have people stop paying attention is to be too "noisy", posting every few minutes.

Vary the posts between business, promotion, useful information and humour, and people will keep on looking!

No matter what your business, you can probably make an impression by creating your own little space on Facebook.

How are you using Facebook?

What posts have seen the most interest for you?

What do YOU think is the next big thing online?