Jackson and Associates Valuation and Consulting

10/12/2026

🍁 Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Jackson & Associates!

Living and working on Vancouver Island gives us so much to be thankful for.

From our beautiful coastal communities and spectacular natural surroundings to the wonderful people we meet through our work, we're fortunate to call this part of the world home.

This Thanksgiving, we're especially grateful for our dedicated team, our clients, our professional colleagues, and the many communities that have supported our business over the years.

Whether you're spending the long weekend with family and friends, enjoying the outdoors, or simply taking a well-deserved break, we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

From our family and team to yours, Happy Thanksgiving! 🍂🦃

10/10/2026

Bigger houses. Smaller lots. A changing Courtenay.

Our analysis of assessment records shows that houses built in Courtenay in the 2020s average approximately 60% more floor area than those built in the 1950s - on lots averaging 35% less land.

What does that mean for property values?

Size is only part of the picture. Location, layout, condition and usable outdoor space all influence what buyers value. A larger home doesn’t automatically offer better value, and extra land contributes differently from one property to the next.

At Jackson & Associates, we look beyond square footage to understand the whole property.

Read our latest blog:
https://www.comoxvalleyappraisers.com/post/bigger-houses-smaller-lots-trends-over-time-detached-homes-in-the-city-of-courtenay

How big a house fits our idea of what a single-family detached house should be? And how much land should come with that home? Does it feel like as the years pass by, the lot sizes are shrinking and house sizes are growing? That feeling is backed up with facts.Our office is located in the City of Cou...

10/02/2026

Four communities. Four very different properties.

Recently, our team has been completing appraisal and depreciation report assignments across Vancouver Island and the surrounding islands.

📍 Quadra Island | Rural bare land strata
📍 Ucluelet | Mixed-use commercial and residential development
📍 Courtenay | Four-storey low-rise apartment
📍 Victoria | Ten-storey mixed-use development

Different locations, different building systems, different management structures, and very different long-term planning needs.

Our team works with both professionally managed and self-managed strata corporations, helping clients with:

• Depreciation reports and long-term capital planning
• Insurance appraisals and replacement cost analysis
• Property valuation and consulting

From smaller rural communities to larger mixed-use developments, the objective is the same: provide clear, practical information that helps owners and strata councils understand what they have, what it may cost, and how to plan for it.

Vancouver Island is a large and diverse market. We are happy to travel to where the assignment takes us.

09/25/2026

Property taxes are likely to get plenty of attention as British Columbians head toward local elections on October 17.

But when someone says a municipality has “high taxes” or promises to “lower taxes,” the mill rate alone does not tell the story.

Two communities can have very different mill rates and still produce similar, or even reversed, property tax bills because assessed values are different.

There is another important question as well:

If taxes are reduced, what happens on the other side of the equation?
- Are services being reduced?
- Is infrastructure renewal being postponed?
- Are reserves being drawn down?
- Are costs moving to water, sewer or other user fees?
- Or is the municipality genuinely finding a more efficient way to deliver the same services?

Our latest article looks at municipal property taxation from a real estate and valuation perspective, including a comparison of eight Vancouver Island communities.

The takeaway is simple.

When comparing municipal property taxes, compare the actual tax bill, the services provided, the condition of local infrastructure and the obligations being carried into future years.

The mill rate by itself tells us very little.

Read the full article:

As British Columbians prepare to vote in the October 17 municipal elections, property taxes will inevitably become a campaign issue. Municipal candidates may promise to “hold the line,” “reduce the tax burden” or even lower taxes.Before accepting those promises, taxpayers should understand h...

09/07/2026

Sometimes the workday starts with a ferry ride.

Working throughout Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Coastal British Columbia means our team spends its fair share of time on the road, and on the water.

Labour Day is a good opportunity to recognize our own team and the many people we work alongside throughout the year. Contractors, tradespeople, property managers, brokers and lenders, business owners, engineers, real estate professionals, strata volunteers, municipal staff and many others.

A lot of people and a lot of work go into keeping our buildings, businesses and communities running.

To our team, our clients and everyone we have the opportunity to work with throughout the year, Happy Labour Day. We hope you enjoy the long weekend.

09/05/2026

What is an oyster farm worth, and how would you appraise one?

Our team had a great time at the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce event at Smith Lake Farm in Merville, learning more about the BLUE ECONOMY here in the Comox Valley.

Much of the discussion focused on the Baynes Sound shellfish industry and the emerging potential of seaweed farming on the BC coast.

Then someone asked a question that was right up our alley:

How would you appraise an oyster farm?

The short answer? Very carefully.

Valuing an aquaculture operation is quite different from appraising a conventional commercial or agricultural property. The analysis can involve tenure and licensing, water lots, permitted species and production, marine improvements, equipment, operating history, environmental conditions, location, access and the income-generating potential of the operation.

Baynes Sound is an especially interesting place to consider the question given the importance of shellfish aquaculture to our local economy.

We took a closer look at how an appraiser might approach the assignment in our latest blog post:

Baynes Sound Oysters: How Would You Appraise an Oyster Farm?

Read the full article on our website: https://www.comoxvalleyappraisers.com/post/baynes-sound-oysters-how-would-you-appraise-an-oyster-farm

A big thank you to the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce, host Clea Adair, the sponsors, staff and volunteers, and everyone who contributed to a great local event.

And yes, the oysters were excellent.

We had the pleasure of attending a Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce event this week out at Smith Lake Farm in Merville.The panel topic was "THE BLUE ECONOMY" and discussion focused around our local (world famous) shellfish industry and our emerging seaweed industry.Afterwards, someone asked me if we...

08/28/2026

One pop at the convenience store costs about $4.

Buy two - its on sale for $5.50 for both.

A case of 24 might cost $24.99.

Buying more costs more in total but the average price per unit falls:
🥤 1 can: $4.00 each
🥤 2 cans: $2.75 each
🥤 24 cans: $1.04 each

Land can behave similarly.

Jackson & Associates analyzed 690 acreage sales across the VIREB market area to examine how additional land contributes to property value.

The results:
🏞️ In the Comox Valley, doubling vacant-land acreage was associated with approximately 17% more value.
🌲 Elsewhere in the VIREB area, the estimated increase was approximately 9% for vacant parcels of 20 acres or less.
🏡 For improved Comox Valley properties, doubling acreage was associated with roughly 6% to 9% more total value after accounting for basic differences in the house, location and sale year.

In other words:

Twice the land did not mean twice the value.

Price per acre also declined sharply as parcel size increased.

In the Comox Valley, the median vacant-land price per acre fell from approximately $425,000 for properties between one and two acres to $106,000 for properties between five and ten acres.

This reflects diminishing marginal utility.

The first few acres often provide the greatest residential benefit: the homesite, yard, privacy, septic field, garden, pasture or room for a shop.

Additional acres may still add privacy, agricultural utility or future opportunities but they generally contribute at a lower rate.

The conclusion?
More acreage generally adds value, but the next acre is rarely worth as much as the first.

Read our latest analysis:
🔗 https://www.comoxvalleyappraisers.com/post/what-is-an-extra-acre-worth-in-the-comox-valley

Note: These findings describe broad market relationships and are not property-specific appraisal adjustments.

We analyzed 690 acreage sales from across the VIREB market area to find out why more land does not mean proportionately more value.If a house on one acre is worth $1 million, is the same house on two acres worth $2 million?Of course not.But is the additional acre worth $25,000? $100,000? $250,000?An...

08/25/2026

MICRO MARKET MONDAY: WILLOW POINT

What is happening in the Willow Point housing market?

We reviewed the latest VIREB MLS® data for single-family homes in Willow Point, one of Campbell River’s most active residential neighbourhoods.

Through August 1, 2026:

• 110 single-family homes have sold, down 7.6% from the same period in 2025
• Median sale price: $750,000, up approximately 1.1%
• Median days on market: 39 days, compared with 30 last year
• 66 single-family homes are currently listed for sale
• Median asking price: approximately $847,000

The interesting part is what happens when we look beyond the neighbourhood-wide averages.

The $600,000 to $799,000 range remains the most active segment of the market. Above $1 million, conditions look quite different.

There are currently 21 listings above $1 million, compared with only 15 sales in that price range so far in 2026.

That is a good reminder that there really isn't one "Willow Point market."

Market conditions can vary considerably depending on price point, location, age, quality and property characteristics.

The overall takeaway?

Willow Point values have remained relatively stable, but homes are taking longer to sell, buyers have more choice, and accurate pricing is increasingly important.

We take a deeper look at the numbers in this week's Micro Market Monday:

https://www.comoxvalleyappraisers.com/post/micro-market-monday-willow-point-stable-prices-slower-sales-and-a-divided-market

08/18/2026

SAME PROPERTY. TWO VERY DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.

A beautiful summer day for a trip to Powell River, although an early start for our team.

A 6:00 a.m. ferry over and the 5:00 p.m. ferry home made for a full day in the field last week, completing both a depreciation report and an insurance appraisal for a self-managed strata corporation.

Although the two assignments involve looking at many of the same buildings and improvements, they serve very different purposes.

A depreciation report helps a strata corporation plan for the predictable repair and replacement of common-property components over the coming years. Roofs, siding, windows, balconies, paving, mechanical systems and other components eventually deteriorate and require capital investment.

An insurance appraisal asks a different question:

What could it cost to reconstruct the insured improvements following a major loss?

The distinction is important. Component costs used for long-term capital planning are not necessarily the same as the replacement costs developed for insurance purposes.

Location matters too.

For strata properties in communities such as Powell River, future costs can be affected by contractor availability, transportation and freight, mobilization, accommodation for specialized crews, and access to materials and trades.

For a self-managed strata, having reliable information about both long-term capital requirements and current reconstruction costs can be an important part of responsible financial planning.

One property. Two reports. Two different purposes.

One helps prepare for expenditures that will eventually occur.

The other helps prepare for a major loss that hopefully never does.

Early ferry, full day of inspections, late ferry home. Not a bad way to spend a summer workday on the coast.

08/10/2026

🏝️ WHAT DOES A PRIVATE ISLAND IN BC ACTUALLY COST?

$13 million? $1.45 million? $1.02 million?

All three are recent sale prices for private islands in British Columbia.

Earlier this year, Turnagain Island in Secret Cove sold for $13 million. The 93+ acre property included two substantial residences, municipal water, submarine power, extensive marine infrastructure, a protected deep-water dock and an adjacent mainland waterfront property.

By comparison, Centre Island, roughly 110 acres in Esperanza Inlet, sold for $1.45 million.

Little Shell Island near Sidney, at only about one acre, sold for approximately $1.02 million in late 2025.

The comparison illustrates an important valuation principle.

When it comes to private islands, acreage can tell you surprisingly little about value.

Access, dockage, exposure, utilities, improvements, development potential, location and scarcity can all have a significant influence on what an island is worth.

This week's Micro Market Monday takes a closer look at recent BC private-island sales and current listings, and why a simple "price per acre" comparison can be misleading.

Read the full analysis on our blog:

https://www.comoxvalleyappraisers.com/post/micro-market-monday-what-does-a-private-island-cost-in-bc

Earlier this year, a private island on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast sold for $13 million. Turnagain Island, located in Secret Cove near Halfmoon Bay, comprises more than 93 acres and had most recently been offered at $14.749 million. But the transaction involved considerably more than a large...