Halifax Real Estate - Neighbourhood Information and home buyer kit online

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NEIGHBOURHOOD INFORMATION:

Halifax-Dartmouth Region
Counties & Cities Serviced by Mark:

Halifax:
Clayton Park
South End
West End
North End
Dartmouth
Bedford
Lr. Sackville
Hammonds Plains
Timberlea
Herring Cove
Bedford
Sackville
Dartmouth
Fairview
Hammonds Plains
St. Margarets Bay
Armdale/Purcell's Cove
Prospect
Halifax County East
Halifax County South & West
Sambro to Ketch Harbour
Waverley/Fall River
Outside Halifax County

Clayton Park

Clayton Park is located on the edge of Halifax on the Bedford Basin, with good access via the #102 highway and the Bedford Highway. It's about a 10 minute drive towards Bedford, about 20 minutes at peak times. "Clayton Park" often refers to several areas that adjoin Clayton Park such as Rockingham Ridge, Wedgewood, Cresthaven and Sherwood Heights. The density is one of the highest in metro.

Schools
Though some of the schools in Clayton Park are getting older, they are well-respected and have excellent teachers. A new state-of-the-art P-9 school has recently been completed in the area. Duc Danville and Clayton Park Junior High share a playing field from each other. There is a brand new Halifax West High for grades 9-12, which replaces the old one due to poor air quality. One of Nova Scotia's largest public libraries, Keshen Goodman Library, is located in Clayton Park

Shopping
Shopping in particular is excellent, in fact, Metro's most popular shopping area. Big box stores such as Price Costco, Business Depot, Winners, Futureshop, Walmart and several others anchor this booming area. Shopping malls such as Halifax Shopping Center, Bayers Road Shopping Center and West End Mall are a short drive away. Several strip malls are also found in the area. Shopping is not a problem when you live in Clayton Park

Recreation
Major Parks and walking trails are numerous in the area, including the 197 acre Hemlock Ravine Park with 5 trails networked together. Another popular park is the Mainland North Linear Parkway or Kearney Lake Trail, a 4.5 km walking trail which runs through much of Clayton Park. Several smaller parks are also scattered throughout the area. Fairview Hills Golf Facility has a Par 3 golf course, driving range and mini-golf, and the Northcliffe Community Centre has an indoor pool and indoor tennis. There is a new rec centre planned for completion in 2006. The Empire Theatre movie complex with 12 movie theatres as well as an Imax theatre.

Homes The Clayton Park area comprises two different areas, the original Clayton Park and Clayton Park West, with the dividing line at Dunbrack Street. The original Clayton Park was developed in the 1970's with older more established housing, while Clayton Park West was developed in 1990's with newer houses, even brand-new homes. There is a mixture of single family, semi-detached, townhouse, condominiums and rental apartments which raise the density in this fairly small area. Some houses have fairly large city lots while others have smaller 30' x 100' lots.

Market Conditions

The real estate market in Nova Scotia can best be described as a sellers market. Sellers in this market whose homes are priced competitively and are in good condition will typically sell. "Bargains" are still hard to find but the current prices reflect a fair price for homes in the area. While "fair price" may be translated as outrageous to people moving to Halifax the cost of a home today is, in many cases, comparable to home costs in the late 1980's.

Real estate is and always has been a good long term investment in Nova Scotia. During the late 1980's home prices escalated. Later we saw prices stagnate in many neighborhoods with modest increases in other neighborhoods. Prices now are increasing at a rate of between 4 and 7%. Many local economists are optimistic about our regional economy and in the next couple years we should continue to see healthy appreciation rates.

One of the services I offer my clients, is to analyze the market and assist them in determining the best strategy for buying or selling a home. If you are moving into or out of the area, give me a call to discuss a plan of action to solve your housing needs.