There’s something about the first cool, rainy morning here that makes me want to light a candle, put the kettle on, and finally deal with all the little home tasks I have been putting off since June. If you are feeling that same pull, you are not alone. Fall is genuinely one of the best times to give your home a bit of attention, whether you just moved in, you are getting ready to sell, or you are simply settling in for the wetter months ahead.

I put together this checklist with our particular corner of the world in mind. We do not deal with snow and ice the way a lot of the country does, but our long, wet winters bring their own version of the same problems. Clogged gutters and overworked heat pumps cause just as much trouble here as frozen pipes do elsewhere, so a little prevention goes a long way.

Outside the home
Our fall rains arrive fast, and clogged gutters are one of the most common issues I see when I am walking through homes with clients. Clear out leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts, and make sure water is draining well away from your foundation rather than pooling beside it. While you are outside, take a look at your roof for any missing or lifted shingles from summer storms, and check that flashing around vents and chimneys is still sealed.

This is also a great time to check weatherstripping around exterior doors and windows. If you can feel a draft or see daylight around the frame, it is worth replacing before the temperature really drops. A properly sealed home keeps your heating costs down all winter, which matters even more with a heat pump working overtime through our damp months.

Inside the home
Change your furnace or heat pump filter, and if it has been a while, consider booking a professional service before the system is running daily. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors while you are at it, and replace any batteries that need it.

Fall is also a natural moment to declutter closets and storage areas. Bring out the warmer layers, and set aside anything you did not wear this year to donate. If you have a fireplace, have it inspected and cleaned before you use it for the first time this season.

A word for sellers and downsizers
If you are getting ready to list your home, this checklist doubles as a great pre market refresh. A clean entryway, a well kept exterior, and small repairs like weatherstripping or gutter cleaning can genuinely change a buyer's first impression. If you are in the middle of downsizing and this all feels like a lot, that is normal too. You do not have to tackle everything at once, and I am always happy to talk through what is worth prioritizing before a sale.

Your Takeaway Fall Home Checklist
- Clean gutters and downspouts, and confirm water drains away from the foundation
- Inspect the roof for missing or damaged shingles
- Check and replace worn weatherstripping around doors and windows
- Change the furnace or heat pump filter
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Have the fireplace or chimney inspected before first use
- Declutter closets and rotate seasonal clothing
- Do a walkthrough of the exterior for small repairs before winter rains set in

Wherever you are in your own home journey this fall, I hope this gives you a simple place to start.

Jacqueline Ross, REALTOR®
Your Van Isle Home
call/text: 250-415-5656
jac@yourvanislehome.com
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There’s a particular feeling that comes with finding a favourite spot in a city you are still getting to know. It’s the moment a place stops feeling like a tourist stop and starts feeling like yours. That’s exactly what happened to me at Citrus & Cane, which just made the move from the edges of downtown Victoria to a new home right in the heart of it, at 606 Trounce Alley. I loved their previous location on Douglas and couldn’t wait to visit their new digs.

Citrus & Cane is a tropical cocktail bar spread across three levels, with an oval bar at the centre of it all and big windows that let in far more natural light than you would expect from a nightlife spot. The building itself has real character, and the team has leaned into that rather than covering it up. It feels lived in, in the best way, while still being polished enough to make a great first impression.

The drinks are the real draw. This is a rum forward menu built by people who clearly know what they are doing, with house made syrups and fresh juice in almost everything they pour. Whether you gravitate toward a classic daiquiri or something a little more adventurous, there’s a cocktail here that will surprise you in a good way. I ordered something off the tropical list and it might be the best drink I have had in the city this year.

I think about places like this a lot when I’m working with relocation clients and first time buyers. When you move to a new city, or even a new part of your own city, it is not just about finding the right home. It’s about finding the places that make you feel like you belong there. I moved from Toronto to Victoria myself, and I still remember how much it mattered to find a handful of spots that felt like mine before the rest of the pieces fell into place.

Citrus & Cane is one of those places I would point a client toward if they were settling into downtown Victoria and wanted a starting point for exploring the neighbourhood's evening life. It’s walkable from so much of what makes downtown special, and it has the kind of warm, easy hospitality that makes a new city feel a little less new.

If you are house hunting downtown, or you already call this neighbourhood home, put Citrus & Cane on your list.

Jacqueline Ross, REALTOR®
Your Van Isle Home
call/text: 250-415-5656
jac@yourvanislehome.com
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When a "No" From the Bank Isn't the End of the Story

I hear some version of this conversation more often than you'd think. A client tells me they were turned down for a mortgage, and their voice drops a little, like the door on their plans just closed. If that's you right now, I want you to know something important. A no from one bank is not the same thing as a no from every lender, and it's almost never the end of your homeownership journey.

Traditional lenders lean on a fairly rigid set of rules for income, credit, and debt. Those rules work well for a lot of people, but they don't capture everyone's real financial picture. I think of clients who are self-employed, running successful businesses with steady cash flow, but showing a lower taxable income because of legitimate deductions. Or clients who are quietly rebuilding after a job loss, an illness, or a divorce, and whose credit history doesn't yet reflect how capable they are of managing a mortgage today.

In situations like these, the real question usually isn't whether someone can responsibly afford a home. It's whether they've found a lender willing to look at the whole picture instead of just the numbers on a form.

There's more flexibility out there than most people realize

This is where working with a mortgage broker makes a real difference. Brokers work across a wide range of banks, credit unions, and alternative lenders, each with different products and different ways of evaluating an application. Depending on your situation, that might mean using alternative documentation to show self-employed income, restructuring existing debt, bringing in a co-borrower, or working with a lender who takes a more flexible view of credit history. Sometimes it means a short-term alternative mortgage while you build toward more traditional financing down the road.

For homeowners, these same tools can also open a path to refinancing pressing debts or staying in a home when a current lender isn't able to offer a workable solution.

None of these options are free of trade-offs, and that's worth being honest about. Alternative mortgages often carry higher rates and fees, and consolidating debt can lower your monthly payments while stretching out how long it takes to pay everything off. The goal is never just to get approved. It's to find a mortgage that genuinely makes sense for where you are now and where you're headed.

Think of it as a stepping stone, not necessarily a final destination

One thing I always tell clients is that an alternative mortgage can be a bridge rather than a permanent home. It can buy you time to rebuild credit, establish a longer self-employment history, pay down debt, or simply document your income more clearly. That makes your exit strategy just as important as your initial approval. Before moving forward with any option, it's worth understanding exactly what needs to change, how long that might take, and what it will cost to eventually move back to a traditional lender.

If your income or credit history has made you hesitant to even apply, please don't count yourself out before you've had a real conversation about it. This is exactly the kind of situation where having a good mortgage broker in your corner changes everything, and it's why I always point my clients toward Paul Macara. Paul takes the time to actually understand someone's circumstances instead of running them through a checklist, and he's helped several of my own clients find a path forward when they thought the door had closed. If this sounds like where you're at, reach out to Paul directly at (250) 857-4741 or paul@macaramortgages.com, and tell him I sent you.

Jacqueline Ross, REALTOR®
Your Van Isle Home
call/text: 250-415-5656
jac@yourvanislehome.com
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Sales activity picked up in a big way this August

August closed with 591 properties sold across Greater Victoria, up 12.6% compared to August of last year. Single family homes led the charge, up 15.3% year over year with 309 sold, while condo sales climbed just as strongly, up 15.1% with 175 units sold. Townhome sales were the one softer spot, down 4.5% with 63 sold.

There were 3,662 active listings at month end, down 4.8% from July but up 1.7% from this time last year, giving buyers real choice heading into fall.

Home prices are holding steady, with some variation by area
The benchmark price for a single family home in the Victoria Core sits at $1,301,800, down 1.2% from last year. The Westshore single family benchmark is $1,031,900, up 0.5% year over year, one of the steadiest corners of the market right now. The Peninsula benchmark is $1,266,000, down 1.9% from last year.

Condos found some footing this month.
The Core condo benchmark is $553,600, up 0.9% from August 2025, and the Peninsula condo benchmark climbed to $630,300, up 3.3% year over year, the strongest gain we're tracking anywhere. The Westshore condo benchmark eased to $485,400, down 3.8% year over year.

Townhomes stayed steady overall, with the Core benchmark at $856,300, up 1.7% year over year. Even with fewer townhomes changing hands, the ones that sold held their value well.

Buyers are engaged and moving with confidence
The sales to active listings ratio sits comfortably around 20%, right in the balanced range. What's standing out in my conversations lately isn't hesitation, it's buyers who've done their homework and are ready to act when the right home comes along.

Inflation and mortgage rates
The Bank of Canada held its overnight rate steady at 2.25% through to September 2nd, unchanged since October of last year. Most economists expect mortgage rates to remain relatively stable through the rest of 2026. If you want to better understand how this rate hold would affect you and your mortgage options, I’m happy to connect you with a great mortgage broker. Looking beyond rates at your whole financial situation will provide a clearer picture.

Population growth remains slow
BC's population growth has continued to slow, and federal policy changes reducing non-permanent residents continue to weigh on demand in the condo and rental markets, even as permanent immigration holds relatively strong.

Financial pressures are real
Mortgage renewals continue to land at rates well above what many homeowners locked in a few years ago, and delinquencies in BC remain above year ago levels. For homeowners approaching a renewal, getting ahead of your options continues to matter.

Looking ahead
The rest of 2026 continues to shape up as a balanced market with strong inventory and buyer choice, steady prices overall, and mortgage rates likely to hold near current levels through year end. Well priced, well prepared sellers, particularly of single family homes and townhomes, are still achieving strong results.

Thinking about making a move?
Every neighbourhood and property type is performing differently in today's market. Whether you are buying, selling, downsizing, or curious about what your home is worth right now, I'm happy to walk you through what this market means for your unique situation.

Jacqueline Ross, REALTOR®
Your Van Isle Home
call/text: 250-415-5656
jac@yourvanislehome.com
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There’s nothing quite like the feeling of handing someone the keys to their very first home. It’s a mix of pride, relief, and a little bit of disbelief that all adds up to one of my favourite moments in this job, and that’s exactly the moment I got to share with this client.

This was his very first home, and from our first conversation to the final signature, it was a genuine joy to work through together. He told me afterward that he felt supported the whole way through, and honestly, that’s the kind of feedback that means more to me than almost anything else. Buying your first home can feel like a lot, and my job is to make sure it never feels like too much.

He’s getting the keys to a new build in Esquimalt, just a short walk from the ocean and close to Saxe Point Park, one of my favourite spots on this side of town for a morning walk or an evening sit with a coffee. He’s also just minutes from the Archie Browning Sports Centre and the local farmers markets, which makes settling into a new neighbourhood so much easier. There is something about already knowing where you will go for a swim or a Saturday morning stroll through fresh produce that turns a new address into an actual home a lot faster.

Deals like this one do not come together without good people on both sides. A big thank you to the listing agent and her team for such easy, collaborative work throughout. And on the financing side, our mortgage partner made everything seamless. Having a mortgage broker I trust in a client's corner makes all the difference, especially for a first time buyer navigating the process for the first time.

If you are thinking about your first home and the whole idea feels overwhelming, I’d love to talk it through with you. That is exactly the kind of conversation I’m here for.

Jacqueline Ross, REALTOR®
Your Van Isle Home
call/text: 250-415-5656
jac@yourvanislehome.com
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There's a shift that happens every year around this time. The evenings start cooling off a little earlier, the light gets softer, and even though summer isn't quite over, you can feel fall coming. It's also when I start hearing from a lot of people who've been thinking about selling and want to know what they should be doing right now to get ready.

If that's you, you're not alone, and you're not behind. Late summer is actually one of the best times to start preparing, because it gives you a few quiet weeks to get things in order before the fall market picks up. Here's where I'd start.

Give Yourself Time to Declutter, Not Just Clean

Decluttering isn't the same as tidying up for a weekend. It's about walking through your home room by room and being honest about what you actually want to bring with you to your next chapter. This part often takes longer than people expect, especially if you've been in your home for years, so starting now instead of the week before your listing goes live makes a real difference. It doesn't need to happen all at once either. A little bit each week adds up faster than you'd think.

Handle the Small Repairs You've Been Putting Off

Every home has that list. A dripping faucet, a door that sticks, a spot of paint that's been touched up one too many times. None of these are dealbreakers on their own, but buyers notice them, and they add up to an impression. Fall is a great time to work through that list while the weather still cooperates for anything outdoors, like touching up trim or clearing gutters before the rain really sets in. Need a recommendation for a great tradesperson? I’ve got you, just reach out.

Think About Curb Appeal Before the Days Get Shorter

As the light changes, so does the way your home looks from the street. A few simple things go a long way here. Clearing fallen leaves, adding a warm light by the entryway, and making sure walkways are clear and well lit all help your home feel welcoming even as the season shifts. First impressions still happen at the curb, fall or not.

Get a Clear Picture of Where You Stand

Before you do anything else, it's worth having an honest conversation about where your home sits in today's market. That's not about pressure or a hard sell. It's about giving you real information so you can make a decision that actually fits your timeline, whether that's this fall or further down the road. A home evaluation is a good place to start, and it costs you nothing but a conversation. Let me know if you’d like an honest valuation.

You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone

If you're downsizing, there's an emotional side to this too, and I don't think that ever gets talked about enough. Letting go of a home is rarely just about square footage. If any of this feels like a lot to carry on your own, that's exactly where I come in. I'd rather slow things down and walk through it with you than have you feel rushed into decisions that don't feel right.

If you've been quietly thinking about what's next, I'd love to talk it through, no pressure and no script. You can also grab a copy of my smart downsizing guide any time at yourvanislehome.com if you want a starting point before we chat.

Jacqueline Ross, REALTOR®
Your Van Isle Home
call/text: 250-415-5656
jac@yourvanislehome.com
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