Victoria home sold for $800k back on market for $980k weeks later

A two-bedroom James Bay house thatsold for $800,000 about a month ago has just gone back on the market this time, for $980,000.

Victoria realtor Frank Rudge says he's never seen a market this hot in more than40 years of business, and situations like this are just symptoms of that market.

"It's unprecedented this activity and this competitive selling that's going on," he told All Points West host Robyn Burns. "The market's just going crazy and it's hard to figure out when it's going to slow down. I think we're on a trend for five to seven years."

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Rudge says there are a few details behind this James Bay house: he says the lot is zoned for a duplex, and could, if variance permits are approved, be divided into two lots for two houses.

He also suspects it might be overpriced at $980,000, because offers have not come immediately.

Need to make immediate offer, few subjects and do it all fast

For Erin Peterson, who bought a home in Victoria in the fall, the hot housing market came as a big surprise.

After her Vancouver home's value increased by almost $500,000 over five years, she thought it would be no problem to sell and move her family to her hometown of Victoria, where they could afford a home easily.

It wasn't quite so easy.

"We looked for four or five months. We looked at an awful lot of properties," she said.

"You had to be there before the open house.Make an offer immediately.Make an offer over asking, [with] as few subjects as possible and [when]you get in[to] that multiple offer situation ...you can only offer what you're comfortable with."

Peterson says her realtor told her many of his sales were to ex-Vancouverites like herselfwho are leaving for affordability reasons.

Her concern now is that Victoria is going the same way as the city she left.

"Coming to Victoria and seeing what's happening here, I would hate to see in 10 years Victoria going the same way Vancouver did, and [have] people leaving because they can't afford it or they can't do what they want to do here," she said.

With files from CBC Radio One's All Points West

To hear the interview withFrankRudge, click the audio labelled: Realtor Frank Rudgeon Victoria's hot housing market

To hear the interview withErin Peterson, click the audio labelled: HomeownerErin Petersonon Victoria's hot housing market