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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

Dartmouth

Dartmouth is on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour, was Nova Scotia's second-largest city before amalgamation. "Dartmouth" often encompasses nearby areas such as Cole Harbour, Eastern Passage, Lawrencetown, Lake Echo and Porter's Lake. The population for Dartmouth i about 70,000 people. Dartmouth is connected to Halifax by two bridges: the Angus L. McDonald and the A. Murray MacKay, as well as the oldest saltwater ferry system in North America.

Commuting to Halifax from Dartmouth is achieved by two different methods: driving by car or bus via one of the two bridges ,or hop on either of two ferries that travel between Dartmouth and Halifax departing from either downtown Dartmouth or from Portland Street (closer to Cole Harbour and Eastern Passage) arriving at the Halifax ferry terminal in Historic Properties in downtown Halifax.

Schools
The community has plenty of elementary and high schools for the population. There is a campus of Nova Scotia Community College in the community.

Shopping
Shopping is not a problem in Dartmouth. Two of the largest shopping malls in Canada are located here, Mic Mac Mall and Penhorn Mall, as well as many smaller shopping malls and strip malls.

Recreation
The Dartmouth waterfront has boardwalks that lead east and west from the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal, providing visitors with excellent views of McNab's Island, George's Island. The waterfront also is home to

The Peace Pavilion and the Dartmouth Events Plaza, which hosts a variety of events, including the Multicultural Festival and Canada Day.

Dartmouth, long known as the "City of Lakes," has 23 lakes that provide opportunities for kayaking, windsurfing, canoeing and swimming, as well as wintertime skating and hockey. Lake Banook boasts a world-class canoeing and paddling course with regattas held each weekend of July and August. There are many parks and walkways for the fitness enthusiast. A new fitness trail connects Lake Banook to Shubie Park, which has nature trails, playing fields, a campground and a supervised beach. Dartmouth has five other supervised freshwater beaches. Birch Cove Beach on Lake Banook is the most popular. Other lake beaches include Albro Lake, Graham Grove Beach on Lake Banook, Maynard's Lake and Penhorn Lake. Dartmouth also has two major indoor aquatic centers, Cole Harbour Place and Dartmouth Sportsplex that offer Olympic size swimming pools and more.

Homes House prices vary in Dartmouth, and they can be purchased in virtually any price range.

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.