It’s always fun to find out how others see us. The Wall Street Journal put its magnifying glass over Victoria’s real estate market to describe it as a “comparative bargain.”
In comparison with Vancouver’s prices, that is.
Victoria is a picturesque “sleepy” place with wooded roads, a laid-back lifestyle, lively harbour and a small-town vibe, the paper said in its Thursday edition.
Gosh. We sound so cute. Adorable even.
Our urban deer even get a mention with the article noting that they are a common sight.
The story points out that Victoria can be reached only by air or by boat, and our airport does not have direct flights to Europe or Asia. It thinks we are short on high-end shopping and a hot nightlife.
Even so, the story said that the Victoria housing market is waking up. We know that it’s been awake for a while. Just ask anyone who has tried to find a single-family house in the core in the past few years. Our market is sizzling hot and inventory is tight.
The article reports commonly held views about Victoria’s housing market: It attracts Canadian retirees and semi-retired professionals; demand for housing is coming from buyers priced out of Vancouver; and the luxury market is taking off.
