The calm before the storm…
Well, the first snow fall in Whistler Valley has officially come and gone (and so has the second). All that remains are a few traces of snow in the shaded areas of our backyards. Although there is not much snow on the ground in the Valley the temperature is certainly low enough to feel like winter and make us all turn up our heat. At the office, everyone has put away their summer clothes and pulled out their winter jackets. The snow tires have been put on all the cars, snow brushes have been tossed in the backseat, shovels have been dusted off, skies and snowboards have taken the place of bikes and golf clubs, snow blowers have been dug out of sheds and lawn mowers have been stored for the season. Of course I still see the occasional person in their shorts and t-shirt who still seems to think it is summer – I guess for them it is not winter until there is a foot of snow on the ground.
The winter buzz is definitely in the air. Whistler is such an amazing place and as soon as the temperature starts to change you can feel a different electricity in the air as everyone gets ready for the upcoming season. Every day we are faced with the question “So, when is the mountain really going to open?”
The official opening day is not until November 25th but judging by the amount of snow up there we all think it may just happen a little earlier. Some people argue that it could be as early as November 11th! One of our receptionists at the office pulls double duty also work in guest relations for Whistler Blackcomb and unfortunately even she has been unable to provide us with any insight on when that magical day might be but what she can say is that none of the lefties have been scheduled yet so the decision makers are doing a great job of keeping us all guessing.
On the real estate side of things, sales activity has improved by approximately 7% over where we were at this time last year. Sales activity has been especially strong in the townhome segment of the market and we expect sales activity for the remainder of 2011 to exceed that of 2010. Average sales prices in the most recent quarter have been as follows:
- Single family homes – $1,248,000
- Condos – $265,240
- Townhomes – $605,113
The high levels of interest in the Whistler market that we are currently experiencing should result in continually improving sales activity. It is expected that this will begin to be reflected in sales values. Increasingly, we see that well-priced, good-value properties are attracting offers quickly. So, if you see something out there you like, now may just be a good time to buy so that you are sure to enjoy every moment of the fast approaching ski/board season.
Steve
P.S. Check out my Facebook page for some great first snowfall shots from Whistler Blackcomb
