Village Homes Realty
We are excited to introduce Village Homes Realty (VHR): a brand-new real estate agency that is now operating from the Witchcliffe Ecovillage sales office in the Community Centre. VHR is a separate company from Sustainable Settlements (the co-developer of the Ecovillage) and holds the triennial certificate real estate license that enables the VHR sales team to sell privately owned lots.
A percentage of lot resales are always expected in all new subdivisions, and we’ve been thrilled with how few we’ve had to date. But, it’s no surprise, given the added challenge of this economic climate, that we have been approached by a few Ecovillage owners who have made the (often-difficult) decision to sell. For some lot owners who may have relied on earlier budgeting, the cost of increased interest rates and building prices over the last 18-months has now made building their homes untenable. Unfortunately, it’s a sad but widespread state of affairs. We sympathise with these owners and are keen to do whatever we can to facilitate an easy transition.
Creating a real estate agency to on-sell private lots and established homes is an obvious evolution for WEV and a business that will carry on long after Sustainable Settlements has finished the development. The Ecovillage is a unique and complex development that requires in-depth, specialist knowledge that only our project team holds. It’s a big ask for a real estate agent to familiarize themselves with our sales contract documentation and strata bylaws, and the numerous details and nuances of the Ecovillage itself, let alone sell the vision with passion! We are also receiving the vast majority of enquiries and sales directly to the WEV office through our established marketing channels and expansive database, not via traditional advertising utilized by real estate agents.
Buying a previously owned titled lot offers prospective buyers the opportunity to join a cluster with established community garden infrastructure, landscaping, street trees, strata processes and communication with neighbours. This will help new buyers build and get established in the community much faster, a huge benefit that’s hard to put a price on. Like any lot on the open market, the price will be set by the owners in consultation with the VHR sales team and will reflect the inherent value in these established clusters.
For more information about Village Homes Realty, and to keep up to date on new properties that come to the market, including established homes, please visit the page on the Ecovillage website.
