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Address: 2 Evans Bay Rd., Read Island, B.C.
Asking price: $3.99-million (May 27, 2024)
Selling price: $3.625-million (April 4)
Days on the market: 312
Taxes: $2,327 (2023)
Listing agent: Nicole Eastman and Paul Hague, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada
What they got
The property is situated on a 980-foot waterfront on Read Island halfway between Campbell River and Desolation Sound.Supplied
The 8.22-acre lot has sweeping ocean and mountain views. It is situated on a 980-foot waterfront on Read Island halfway between Campbell River and Desolation Sound, to the north. It’s a well-appointed escape for those who love the remote coast, wildlife and living off grid, with the warmest ocean temperature north of the Baja.
The owners can dock on a private 100-metre long deepwater dock with fuel service for a 120-foot uncovered vessel and 50-foot covered vessel. There’s a shellfish harvesting licence on the property if the new owners are interested in a revenue-generating oyster farm.
The buildings on the property total 6,000 square feet and include three finished cabins that are more like small houses, as well as buildings for entertaining, such as the Japanese tea house.
The 2,176- square-foot main house has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a wraparound deck, high-end appliances, fireplace, laundry, office, Internet connection, a wood-powered hot tub and is surrounded by landscaped gardens, a pond, apple orchard, grape vines and deer fencing. There is also a water treatment plant, storage tanks, well and septic field. Operating expenses for 2023 totalled $25,318.
There are plans for three more cabins on the site. The property relies on wind and solar power and has two backup generators. There’s a logging road, but the property is typically accessed by boat or float plane.
The action
The buildings on the property total 6,000 square feet and include three finished cabins that are more like small houses, as well as buildings for entertaining.Supplied
The retired sellers are a Toronto couple who had purchased the compound 17 years ago because of the abundance of fishing and the idyllic location for summer visits with the grandchildren. With a freezer full of staples, they lived off chinook salmon, ling cod, crab, oysters and shrimp. The owner had experience with tuna fishing in South Africa.
The sellers decided it was time to move to the B.C. Interior for easier visits with the grandkids. The “absolutely spectacular estate” sold to a family from Utah, after less than a year on the market.
“This is a very unique property and needs a specific buyer,” said agent Nicole Eastman, who does a lot of winery and vineyard sales with agent Paul Hague. “It does take time to find that buyer.”
The agents had received one other offer that was too low.
The agent’s take
“I think our Canadian dollar was the biggest factor, and it became a very attractive purchase for them,” said Ms. Eastman. “We’ve been quite busy lately. I think there are a lot of people thinking about investing in Canadian businesses and industries. Alcohol production particularly has become a very attractive investment, as soon as the Trump tariffs went into effect.
“The feeling I’m getting is that there are a lot of Americans that like Canada and see the potential in Canada.”
The sale completed April 15.