Guides
Greater Victoria real estate guides
How things actually work here: the legal structures, the due diligence, and the costs that are not the price. Written to be useful rather than to rank.
Buying and due diligence
55+ and Age-Restricted Communities in Greater Victoria BC banned most strata age restrictions in 2022, leaving only 55+ bylaws valid. What that means for buyers and owners of age-restricted homes in Greater Victoria. 
Bare land strata in British Columbia A bare land strata lot is defined by survey markers, not walls. Who insures the house, what the strata policy covers, and what to read before you buy. 
Buying acreage in and around Greater Victoria ALR rules, wells, septic, legal access, riparian setbacks, unpermitted buildings and farm class: what has to be checked before subjects come off a rural parcel. 
Foreclosures and Court-Ordered Sales in Victoria, BC How BC foreclosures actually work, from Order Nisi to court approval, and what buyers face on a court-ordered sale in Greater Victoria. 
Manufactured and Mobile Homes in Greater Victoria Pad rent, park tenancy, the Manufactured Home Registry and why financing works differently. A practical guide to buying a manufactured home in Greater Victoria. 
Strata and freehold ownership in British Columbia What separates strata from freehold ownership in British Columbia: title, governance, fees, insurance, the documents to read, and the trade-offs that follow. 
Well and septic due diligence in British Columbia No BC law requires a septic inspection on sale, and the health authority never inspected the system. What the records prove, what they don't, and what to check. Buying your first home in BC What a first purchase in British Columbia actually involves: financing, the programs that exist, the costs beyond the price, and the order things happen in. The cost of living in Victoria BC What it costs to live in Greater Victoria beyond housing, and why a single household budget figure is the wrong thing to look for. Moving to Victoria BC Choosing where to live in Greater Victoria when you are arriving from elsewhere: how the region is structured, and what people get wrong on the first visit. Where to live in Greater Victoria A comparison of all thirteen Greater Victoria municipalities on consistent criteria: housing mix, servicing, commute, schools and current inventory. Selling
What it costs to sell a home in British Columbia Commission is negotiable and there is no standard rate. The other costs (legal, discharge, strata documents, tax) with current amounts and the date each was read. 
Selling a condo in Greater Victoria Form B, Form F, the depreciation report, insurance and levies: what a buyer's lawyer asks for, what a strata may charge for it, and how to keep subjects on track. 
Selling a home in Greater Victoria The order a BC sale runs in (service agreement, disclosure duties, pricing, offers, subject removal, conveyancing, completion) and what is required at each step. Downsizing in Victoria BC What downsizing in Greater Victoria involves: sequencing the sale and purchase, the strata transition, and the costs people do not expect. What is my home worth? How a Greater Victoria home is valued, and how to get a written price range for yours from recent comparable sales. Schools
- Schools in Greater Victoria
The three public school districts serving Greater Victoria, how catchment works, and why the district a home is in does not follow municipal lines.
- SD61 Greater Victoria School District
What SD61 Greater Victoria covers, how catchment is determined, and where to confirm the assigned school for a specific address.
- SD62 Sooke School District
What SD62 Sooke covers across the West Shore and Sooke, how catchment works, and where to confirm the assigned school for an address.
- SD63 Saanich School District
What SD63 Saanich covers on the Saanich Peninsula, how catchment is determined, and where to confirm the assigned school for an address.
Comparing areas
- Victoria vs Saanich
Comparing the City of Victoria and the District of Saanich on housing mix, servicing, commute, schools and current inventory.
- Langford vs Colwood
Comparing Langford and Colwood on housing age and type, growth areas, commute, amenities and current inventory.
- All thirteen municipalities
Live inventory, drive times and servicing for each municipality in the region.
Market and tools
BC property transfer tax calculator Work out the tax on a Victoria purchase, including the first-time buyer and newly built exemptions. The Victoria BC real estate market Which indicators matter and how to read them. Open houses in Victoria BC Scheduled open houses across the region, from the board's open house feed. Newest listings The most recently entered listings across Greater Victoria. The most-read guides: the first-time buyer guide for BC, strata versus freehold ownership, the cost of living in Victoria, what it costs to sell a home in BC, bare-land strata explained and Greater Victoria real estate.