RODEO REFURBISH PAGE A3 B il
SUNSET THEATRE PAGE A10
FUTURE PROS PAGE A14
l y Barker D a y s
Friday, July 17, 2015
VOL. 101 NO. 91
Gold Pan real estate ‘holding own’ AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter
With real estate numbers slightly down throughout the Cariboo, the Gold Pan City is no exception, however some areas are seeing growth. “We are seeing a lot more activity in business sales, industrial and commercial, as well as, multifamily units,” BCNREB vicepresident William Lacy said. “It’s great to see that not only is the detached housing market solid, but people are seeing Quesnel as a solid investment, and backing that viewpoint with actual dollars.” In Quesnel realtors reported 122 sales topping $23 million so far this year, compared to 125 sales worth $24.2 in the first six months of last year. Of the 56 single family homes sold between January and June, half sold for less than $210,000; these homes took, on average, 94 days to sell. Fifteen parcels of vacant land, 26 homes on acreage, four manufactured homes in parks and 11 manufactured homes on land have sold in the first six months of 2015. As of June 30 there were 336 properties of all types available for purchase through the MLS.
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“With such nice weather this year, it seemed like consumers had other things to do rather than buy and sell homes, but in the second quarter a busy market got us back on track,” Lacy said. “We are slightly behind on our total sales volume year to date, but I think we will see a steady summer and a busy fall, as we did last year, and we are cautiously optimistic that we will end the year strong.” Comparatively, Williams Lake saw a slight increase with 185 properties sold, compared to 179 of last year, however value went down, with a sales worth of $41 this year and $42 for 2014. In 100 Mile 157 properties changed hands compared to 156, with a property worth of $31 million (same in 2014). “Even though, Quesnel is being touted as a community in transition, the real estate side of thing seems to be on solid ground,” Lacy said. “It isn’t a runaway freight train like Vancouver, but we are holding our own and as the community, as a whole, reaches out to promote the benefits of living in a wonderful community like Quesnel, there is a good chance that things will only get better.”
Additional police presence There will be added police presence during BB Days. With their partners from the Prince George Integrated Road Safety Unit and the North District and Cariboo-Chilcotin Traffic Units, the Quesnel RCMP is reminding everybody to act responsibly during Billy Barker Days. Check stops and roving patrols will be used to ensure the
roadways are kept safe for all users. If you are drinking, don’t drive. Arrange for a designated driver or a taxi ahead of time. Along with extra patrols from Traffic Units there will also be police officers conducting foot and bike patrols throughout Quesnel. As most events associated with Billy Barker Days are geared towards families there will be no tolerance for drinking in public.
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Piano perfection Cheryl Norquay adds her creative touch to the piano in Spirit Square. For more photos and the story see page A9.
Annie Gallant photo
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