Jeff Nield Real Estate

08/19/2026

There's a spot on our regular walk along the Courtenay greenway, on McDonald Road, the line between Courtenay and Comox, where a clearing has turned into a nearly finished apartment building over the past couple of years. My wife and I have watched it rise. I don't mind it, a growing town needs the homes. But that lot didn't decide to become apartments on its own. Long before the excavators, someone drew a line on a map, the Official Community Plan, that said growth goes here. All three Valley centres just rewrote those maps ahead of the October election. My new post walks through what that means, and the one question to put to any candidate who knocks on your door. Give it a read, and tell me what's changing in your corner of the Valley.

Comox Valley 2026 Municipal Election series, Post 3 of 10 Several times a week, my wife and I walk a loop along the Courtenay greenway. For the last couple of years, one stretch of it has doubled as a time-lapse. We turn west toward Crown Isle at the north end of McDonald Road, the line ... Read mor...

08/12/2026

Same Courtenay/Comox lot. Same street. A few years ago you could build one house on it. This spring every homeowner found out they could build four units on their lot. Permitted outright, with no rezoning and no public hearing.

Council didn't vote for that, the province mandated it.

That's the story anchoring at least part of the 2026 municipal election. Maybe you want to protect your neighbourhood, or speed up building, or slow it down. Before you decide whether a candidate has your vote, it's worth asking whether what they're promising is still council's call at all.

My new post lays out what Victoria has already decided, what Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland councils still control, and the one question worth asking every candidate who knocks on your door this fall:

"The province has already changed the zoning rules and set housing targets. What does council still control, and what will you do with it?"

Full read here: https://www.jeffnieldrealestate.com/bill-44-comox-valley-local-control/

Municipal elections are October 17. What would you ask a candidate at your door?

Explore the implications of Bill 44 Comox Valley on local zoning rules and housing density in Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland.

08/10/2026

While our brokerage had a similarly successful July to last year, the wider market was slower, and as a managing broker I could see why in our own deal flow: plenty of showings, fewer offers, and a few deals coming apart over things that wouldn't have rattled anyone a year ago. Buyers are looking hard and committing lightly.

The numbers back it up. 56 single-family homes sold in the Comox Valley last month, down from 71 a year ago, yet the ones that sold still went in 36 days near asking. The benchmark is holding around $860,000, with about three and a half months of inventory: balanced, and patient.

Full August snapshot on the blog, including what a patient market means if you're listing this fall. Click through for full picture. Want it in your inbox monthly? Send me a message.

July 2026 VIREB numbers for the Comox Valley: the benchmark holding near $860,000, sales down but homes still selling fast, and what a patient, balanced market means for fall sellers.

08/09/2026

Just listed: 2712 Rydal, Cumberland. Live up rent down or live down and rent up. Or, live in as a big family home. $955,000.

A flexible income home a short walk from Dunsmuir Avenue. Built in 2011 with over 2,500 sq. ft. across two separate up/down units. The upper unit has three bedrooms plus a family room; the lower adds two more, for five bedrooms combined. A heat pump handles heating and cooling, and the appliances ha...

08/06/2026

Almost every week, I talk to clients wrestling with a version of the same problem. A young couple pre-approved for less than the homes they actually like. Retired grandparents who want to downsize but can't find anything smaller that pencils out. A tradesman commuting from Port Alberni because the mortgage here doesn't work on a Valley wage. That squeeze is the real issue on the October 17 municipal ballot. I'm starting a 10-part (at least) series on the housing questions that can help shape your vote leading up to the election. Trying to write in plain language with the sources laid out. First one's up on the blog.

2026 Comox Valley Municipal Election Series Almost every week, I talk to clients who say a version of the same thing. A young couple pre-approved for a number that doesn’t quite reach the price of the listings they actually like. Retired grandparents who want to downsize but can’t find anythin...

07/29/2026

The Courtenay outdoor pool is back in the news, and it has the whole valley talking: replace the 76-year-old pool for $32.5 million, or find another way?

What caught my attention wasn't the headline price tag. Next to that $32.5-million figure on the City's page sits a much smaller one: an estimated tax increase of $44 to $119 a year for the average home. The reason it's a range, and not one fixed number, comes down to how our property tax system actually works.

It's the stuff that trips up almost every homeowner: your BC Assessment notice isn't your tax bill, a rising assessment doesn't automatically raise your taxes, and whether Comox and Cumberland help pay for a regional pool is what decides if your share is closer to $44 or $119.

So I broke it down in a new post, with the pool as the example. If you own a home here, or you're thinking about buying one, it's the kind of thing to understand before the next big project shows up on your bill. Link in the comments.

For the locals: rebuild the pool, or put the money into river access instead? I tried to lay out both sides fairly. Where do you land?

The Courtenay pool debate is really a property-tax lesson. How your BC Assessment, the municipal rate, and regional cost-sharing shape your Comox Valley tax bill.

07/27/2026

07/26/2026

There's a home on Denman Island that feels like it belongs in a storybook. Five private acres behind a canopy of mature trees, quiet enough to hear the forest, yet only a two-minute drive to the village and the Buckley Bay ferry.

Inside, 2,055 sq ft with four bedrooms, a vaulted sunroom that brings the outdoors in, and more than 700 sq ft of decking for morning coffee under the trees. Outside, the deer-fenced gardens are as productive as they are pretty: a mature hazelnut, more than ten rose varieties, and a thriving herb bed. There's also a detached art studio with its own heat pump, a new greenhouse, and a custom-built sauna. Private trails wind through your own forest, with Chickadee Lake close by for a swim.

And for anyone working remotely, it's all backed by hardwired high-speed internet, rare privacy without giving up the practical stuff.

There's room for what's next, too: a possible building site for a second dwelling among the trees, or a suite with forest views for extra income, subject to Islands Trust zoning.

If you've been picturing island life with space to put down roots, I'd love to show you around. Message me anytime.

Nestled on five private acres in an enchanting forest setting, this beautifully built Denman Island home feels like a hidden storybook retreat. Tucked well back from the road behind a canopy of mature trees, it offers exceptional privacy and serenity while being just a two-minute drive to the villag...

07/24/2026

I've been working with clients for the better part of seven years to find the right piece of land near the Tsolum River. Deep Merville. Ten acres+, a house, a barn, a cleared area ready for a garden.

A few weeks ago we found it.

And now the real work starts. Three septic systems to assess, three wells to test, a primary home to inspect, floodplain mapping to pull, permits to verify, zoning to read. How wet does it get in February? What's the fencing situation?

This is what rural due diligence actually looks like. Not overwhelming — it's a list, and most of the questions have good answers. The purchases that go sideways are the ones where nobody asked them.

I put together a practical guide to everything that needs attention before subjects come off on a rural purchase in the Comox Valley: water, septic, ALR, floodplain, fire insurance, building permits, archaeological considerations, and more.

If you're thinking about acreage, give it a read.

What rural property in the Comox Valley actually involves: wells, septic, ALR, floodplain, fire insurance, and permits — before subjects come off.

07/17/2026

New listing in Comox.

Some homes sell you on the finishes. 1503 Juniper Place sells you on the life around it: a quiet cul-de-sac where the library, groceries, restaurants, the marina, and Filberg Park are all a short walk from your front door.

The home itself is mostly original and consistently maintained, with the updates that count already done: wood floors, upgraded windows, and a heat pump new in 2025 with a five-year transferable warranty. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a gas fireplace, and a private, fully fenced yard with mature landscaping and a deck for summer evenings.

Move in and enjoy it exactly as it is, or take your time making it your own.

$955,000 | Message me anytime for details or a private viewing.

On a quiet cul-de-sac a short walk from Filberg Park, this is one of the best locations Comox has to offer, with groceries, the library, restaurants, and the marina all close enough to leave the car at home. The home itself is mostly original and consistently maintained, with updates where they coun...