…and just like that, the leaves are falling, the mornings are crisp, the pumpkins are up, pumpkin spice everything is at your favourite coffee shop, and the colours of Fall are here. It’s a favourite season of mine for many of the reasons listed above (you can’t go wrong with a half sweet extra whip pumpkin spice latte walking along the dykes in Pitt Meadows on a clear, crisp Autumn day….), though I do believe I attribute my fondness of the season to the nostalgia I get thinking of ‘Back to School’ as a kid. It seems there’s a distinct change in the weather that first week following the Labour Day long weekend that helps everyone get back into their ‘new’ routines. This year, for the first time, both my boys have gone ‘back to school’ – both living the dream at Maple Ridge Elementary – Isaiah is settled into grade 3 and Lukas is taking the school by storm in kindergarten. It’s a whole new world for Hannah & me, as for the first time in 8 years, we don’t have one of our kids at home during the day. Between 8:30-2:30 Monday-Friday, our house is cleaner than it’s ever been – but it’s an adjustment, understanding that we’ve moved into a new season in our lives. But I digress.
Halloween is also a time that I loved as a kid (candy, candy, candy…), and I now get the enjoyment of seeing the excitement in my own kids. They started out as the cute, cuddly lion, monkey….or a lobster (Hannah’s choice)….and now have designs this year on dressing up as Monster Hockey & Soccer players. I’m a proud dad. I also get to use Halloween as an opportunity to teach key life lessons, like what it means to have to pay tax. Candy is a great teaching substitute for money.
One of our family’s favourite Fall traditions is heading to the Laity Pumpkin patch. I’ve grown up in Maple Ridge, and it’s amazing to see how much of an attraction it has become for those throughout the Lower Mainland. We are so fortunate to have local farms doing things like this in our backyard! If you’ve never been, or haven’t been in awhile, it’s a great way to spend a Fall afternoon – take the kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews and enjoy a pretty unreal setting close to home!
The Fall season also breathes new life into the real estate market! September sales stats show we’re headed towards a more ‘balanced’ market, with sales starting to rebound and prices showing signs of stabilizing. While the market is balanced, Sellers are having to price competitively due to the amount of supply available. For Buyers, it’s an interesting time to consider getting in or moving up as interest rates remain among historically low levels, and real estate today is ‘on sale’ – don’t wait for the sale to end!
Dad & I have proudly been serving Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows & Mission for a combined 45 years, and we love being able to offer honest, experienced, sincere, local real estate advice to our clients! Thank you for your continued trust and referrals! If you or someone you know is considering a move this Fall or as we look ahead to turning the corner to 2020, we’d love to hear from you!
With that, our best to you this Fall – take the time to enjoy the sights, sounds & smells – and don’t forget to collect your candy tax before the kids spend it all!
-Nathan & Art
