Relocating to Nanaimo - where are the good/bad areas?
Jul 16th, 2005, 05:12 AM
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Relocating to Nanaimo - where are the good/bad areas?
In the next 6 weeks my niece will be selling her condo in Toronto, moving to Nanaimo, BC and buying a house. She's young, she thinks she can do all this in 6 weeks. 
I'm trying to help by checking out real estate websites. Can you tell me which are the good areas and which should be avoided? Obviously, neither of us knows the market in Nanaimo (I live in North Carolina), but she's hoping to buy something for $200,000 to $250,000.
Any other information about living in Nanaimo will be greatly appreciated. My niece is 27, very much into sports and outdoor activities, and extremely excited about moving to Vancouver Island.
Thank you!!
I'm trying to help by checking out real estate websites. Can you tell me which are the good areas and which should be avoided? Obviously, neither of us knows the market in Nanaimo (I live in North Carolina), but she's hoping to buy something for $200,000 to $250,000.
Any other information about living in Nanaimo will be greatly appreciated. My niece is 27, very much into sports and outdoor activities, and extremely excited about moving to Vancouver Island.
Thank you!!
Jul 16th, 2005, 06:05 AM
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Check the older threads on http://www.vancouverisland.com/forum/
My views on Nanaimo are well documented here
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My views on Nanaimo are well documented here
amp;
Jul 16th, 2005, 10:23 AM
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If you go to mls.ca and navigate to BC then Vancouver Island and Nanaimo all of the listings will be shown there. I prefer the areas (which you can choose on that website) uplands, north Nanaimo, Departure Bay and Hammond Bay. There are of course nice areas in other parts but that is a good spot to start. I would stay to the north end rather than the south. Your neice will find something nice in that price range there and the newer shopping areas are going in there as well. I hope she finds what she is looking for and enjoys Vancouver Island. If she likes outdoor activities she is coming to the right spot!
Jul 16th, 2005, 01:22 PM
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Thank you both for your replies. It's always good to hear both sides of an issue.
Traveller69, she works for PetroCanada. Do you know where they are located? I'm not sure that my niece does, yet! Thanks again for your help.
Traveller69, she works for PetroCanada. Do you know where they are located? I'm not sure that my niece does, yet! Thanks again for your help.
Jul 16th, 2005, 03:36 PM
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If I can make a real-estate related suggestion: the MLS listings are great in terms of doing research, but as we've discovered while we were looking for a house to buy in Victoria, the listings are pretty much outdated. Perhaps that's a bit less so in Nanaimo where the market isn't quite as hot as it is in Victoria, but once you get an idea of neighbourhoods and prices, what you really need is a good real estate agent. Ours was wonderful; we contacted her from Toronto a few months ago and let her know what we were looking for, and we found our dream home in 3 days. It hadn't even been listed on MLS yet, but I think it still is now, even though the sale was final as of last week.
Best of luck to your niece. I think she probably will be able to surprise you and get everything accomplished in 6 weeks - Toronto's house market is moving very, very fast.
Best of luck to your niece. I think she probably will be able to surprise you and get everything accomplished in 6 weeks - Toronto's house market is moving very, very fast.
Jul 16th, 2005, 04:48 PM
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Hey Meesthare, congratulations on finding a home in Victoria. What a dream to be moving out there!
Won't you miss all this humidity? and all the snow in winter?
You sure will be a long way from your little grandchild In NY!!
Cameron, good luck to your niece. I think it's wonderful that she's taking this step. I hope she enjoys it out there.
Won't you miss all this humidity? and all the snow in winter?
You sure will be a long way from your little grandchild In NY!!
Cameron, good luck to your niece. I think it's wonderful that she's taking this step. I hope she enjoys it out there.
Jul 16th, 2005, 04:48 PM
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traveller69 - She works in management at the headquarters of PetroCan in Ontario. I would guess the office in Nanaimo is downtown.
Meesthare - Your suggestion to get a realtor now rather than wait til she gets there is a good one. Thanks.
Someone has mentioned the small town of Labrynth(?) to her as a possible place to live. Is anyone familiar with it?
Thanks for your continued help.
Meesthare - Your suggestion to get a realtor now rather than wait til she gets there is a good one. Thanks.
Someone has mentioned the small town of Labrynth(?) to her as a possible place to live. Is anyone familiar with it?
Thanks for your continued help.
Jul 16th, 2005, 05:20 PM
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hi, Kodi - thanks for your congratulations! This is a move we have wanted to make for a long time and it's finally happened. Gee, I don't think I will miss the humidity TOO much, but if I do, I will certainly go back and visit. Yes, I will miss the little guy in New York (can you believe he's nearly 2?) and the other 4 grandkids in Toronto, but I'm hoping I can lure them out here. The weather is a pretty strong lure right now, even with the unusually cool temps we've been having for the past few weeks. BC is a total paradise - we're just ecstatic about the move.
Yes, I will miss the little guy in New York (can you believe he's nearly 2?) and the other 4 grandkids in Toronto, but I'm hoping I can lure them out here. The weather is a pretty strong lure right now, even with the unusually cool temps we've been having for the past few weeks. BC is a total paradise - we're just ecstatic about the move.
Jul 16th, 2005, 06:13 PM
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Cameron - The only towns that come close to what you say are Lantzville which is just north of Nanaimo on the water and Ladysmith with is quite a bit south of Nanaimo. I would guess they mean Lantzville. If you check the website I gave you for real estate they do have Lantzville in the Nanaimo area for listings. I was assuming that your niece was with management but the office could be anywhere and I would guess it would be in an industrial park. That type of thing is basically in the north end. If your niece calls someone like Coldwell Banker or REMax or any of the national real estate firms and just asks for a referral someone could answer her questions and tell her what is available at that moment. Good Luck to her. I am from the Vancouver/Victoria area (retired to Victoria) but lived in Oakville for a few years. It was heaven coming back to the west coast!
