Property: 2399 Quayside Court, three-bedroom, $575,000
Wei Ling Yee raised her two children in the bright, south facing corner unit of this Victoria-Fraserview townhouse complex, just steps away from trails that wind along the Fraser River.
The spacious layout (1,845 square feet) of the newly renovated three bedroom, three bath unit gave the single mother the room she needed, and the active complex created a sense of community for the family. When she bought the home in 2003, Yee also liked that she could take daily walks along the river. Now her children are grown, Yee wants to downsize from the three-level home.
The agent for the property, Maureen Bellinger has lived in this complex for more than 15 years. She describes the area as quiet and established — a place where people get to know their neighbours. In the summer there are barbeque block parties and owners go all out decorating for holidays like Halloween, she said.
Bellinger justifies the $345 per month maintenance fee as the cost of living in a well-maintained complex with a healthy contingency fund. When she was a child, Bellinger lived a stone’s throw away on Argyle Street in one of the post-war houses built for returning soldiers. At the time, there were small farms along Marine Drive down to Kent Avenue and the area of Yee’s home was undeveloped, she said. When she moved back to the area it was “coming home,” she said.
The complex sits on land leased from the city, which will come up for renewal in 2085. Bellinger said the lease was prepaid and the resale value of leased properties is comparable to those on more common freehold land.
