Coastal Life Realty Ltd.

Cell: (250) 539-0656 |

Good service is very important to us. We strive to help our clients fulfill their needs and achieve their goals. Here is what some people had to say about the service they received.
 
 
Carolyn was also a fantastic agent to work with! She helped me while I was away and showed my clients through the home as I couldn't be there. She was extremely pleasant, knowledgeable and an absolute delight to work with! My clients also thought the same. I will be continuing to use her as a dedicated gulf island resource going forward!

Buyers Agent

Poul Dempster



Charmaine was a pleasure to work with. She was quick in her responses, very detailed in her listing approach and got my clients everything we needed in order to secure their gulf island paradise. I was away on my honeymoon in Greece and she worked with me every step of the way even though there was a 10hr time difference! Couldn't have done it without her to be honest. Always great working with amazing agents where both buyers and sellers alike come out on top. Thanks again Charmaine, looking forward to the next one!

Buyers Agent

Poul Dempster




The best realtor ever….

We recently sold our home on Pender Island with the extraordinary assistance of Charmaine Harris (Coastal Life Realty). We have bought and sold six houses over the years and there is no question that Charmaine was the most effective, efficient, thoughtful, and supportive realtor with whom we have worked. Her grasp of the market and what it takes to sell your house make her the realtor of choice. She was able to pinpoint the selling points of the house and used her marketing experience to showcase what was important for potential buyers to see. The photos,   video, and description of our cottage were outstanding and the house sold in a week. Charmaine truly works for you and with you, as a collaborative partner in the process. Because of her competence, energy (she is tireless), honesty, and integrity, she has our highest recommendation!

Sellers
H & R

Charmaine is genuine, honest, direct, supportive, and goes over and beyond! Our process to find and buy was exceptional. We felt fortunate to be her clients.

Buyers
Sheria Brown and Sean Clazie - Pender Island

I needed a Realtor to handle the sale of my brother's house on Pender island.  I have been a Realtor myself so I knew what I was looking for.  I sent a message to two Realtors on the island and Charmaine was the only one to respond, which says something--I'm not sure what.  In any case, Charmaine was exactly what I was looking for:  an experienced and competent Realtor who knew the Pender Island market.

She made important recommendations for getting the property ready to sell and kept all parties, including the renters, informed every step of the way.  Charmaine understood the unique circumstances of an Estate transaction and explained each phase leading up to the sale.  I chose the right Realtor, of that I am certain.  I would recommend Charmaine Harris to anyone needing the services of a Realtor who knows what she's doing.
Seller
Bill Stenson




Charmaine’s dedication and commitment to her clients goes ‘above and beyond’. She believes in a strong community and has firm roots on the island which helps her match people with the right property. I would recommend her in a heartbeat for selling, buying or renting property! One of the hardest working women I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Thank you Charmaine for being the exceptional person you are!

Seller

Debra



I highly recommend Charmaine Harris if you are thinking of selling your Pender Island property. Charmaine recently sold my Pender waterfront home and I could not be happier with the process and the outcome.

Charmaine’s attention to detail is nothing short of amazing and she represented by interests professionally and confidently. Charmaine kept me informed of all her marketing efforts, and provided detailed feedback after all the showings which was really great. It takes a lot of energy to keep ones home in show home condition so timely feedback was certainly appreciated.

Charmaine does her due diligence in advance and was fully knowledgeable on all aspects of my home, she was able to competently answer inquiries from other agents and buyers without constant back and forth clarification.

I can say she enthusiastically represented my beautiful Pender home and my interests first and foremost. If you want a realtor who cares about you and acts in your best interests I cannot imagine a better choice than Charmaine.

She found the perfect buyer for my much loved home on Pender and that has allowed me to move on to my next chapter in my life.

FranB

Seller



It was a pleasure to work with you.  Your expert knowledge made selling our property very simple and we will be sure to recommend you to our friends and acquaintances.

Kathy MacLachlan & David Kirsop

Sellers



I have bought and sold many properties across Canada and there is quite simply no realtor better than Charmaine.  In addition to being a pleasure to work with, she is a consummate professional who had answers to virtually all of my questions at her fingertips. She provided extensive documentation in an organized fashion that included check lists.

The property I purchased has a well and a cistern, its own sewer bed and 2 fireplaces.  Charmaine made great suggestions as to the type of inspectors I should hire and provided a list of possible inspectors in different areas of expertise.  This was immensely helpful as this aspect of purchasing a home was entirely new to me.

Offers and counteroffers flowed seamlessly as Charmaine's clients can choose to have paperwork handled electronically or in person based on the needs of the individual.  I found this personalized service to be a real plus.

Charmaine was interested in exceeding my expectations and she succeeded.

djb

Buyer



We started our journey to move to Pender Island in February 2016. Meeting Charmaine Harris was indeed a blessing from the god’s!  Right away Charmaine understood our needs and wants in a new home. We found many beautiful properties that had exactly what we wanted in a home and a new life here on Pender Island. Charmaine was very supportive, collaborative, and patient. Our house hunting took a full year due to the fact that we were selling our Dental Practice and our home in Alberta. Charmaine assisted us a lot through the tough negotiations of the sale our practice. Her practical, valuable, and patient advice assisted us through the process. Once all the T’s were crossed and the I’s dotted with the sale of our practice everything fell in to place here on Pender. Charmaine assisted with our purchase of our new property and with a very tight window she made it all happen. We were so fortunate to have Charmaine as our realtor  during this process, everything that was required was managed so perfectly. This made for a stress free purchase. We truly feel moving here was meant to be. We would recommend Charmaine  Harris as a realtor for purchase or sale of a property, she  is informed,  she assists above and beyond what is expected, and is extremely practical and patient.  Charmaine Harris has truly represented the positive Pender Island experience and welcome!  We are very thankful to you Charmaine!

Dr. Gary Sacher & Gerry Hagan

Pender Island Dental

Buyers






 

Charmaine recently sold our property on Pender for us and I cannot say enough good things about how she handled the whole experience.  She definitely went above and beyond what a usual realtor would do.

The offer we received had a closing date that wouldn't work for us.  Being off-island homeowners we had a very narrow window of time in which we would be able to get there and clean out the house before the possession date.  This is where Charmaine saved the deal.  As we were willing to part with most of the belongings in the home, she offered to sell what we would not be moving with no extra profit to herself.  Very quickly and efficiently she sold everything we asked her to and made herself available at the house to arrange for buyers to pick all the items up.  Then, after a major snow storm and broken Uhaul trailer made us miss our only weekend available to pick up the rest of our belongings, she gave us the name of someone on island who could come to the house to pack up the rest of our belongings and deliver them to our home.  Not only that, but she herself was there on that day to help pack up and oversee that everything happened as it should.  We were amazed at how well everything turned out.  What realtor does that?  Charmaine!  

She was also thoughtful throughout the whole time our house was on the market.  During this cold winter, when we were coming over for a weekend she went to the house ahead of our arrival to turn on the heat and even left treats for our children.  I would not hesitate to contact Charmaine again if we were ever in the market in the future.  She always considered our best interests and let us feel listened to.  I easily recommend her to help anyone in the sale of a property!

Thanks for a job very well done, Charmaine!

 Vicky & Alf
Sellers

I had been thinking about selling my house for a while and after returning from Christmas holidays I decided I would interview 2 or 3 realtors to get an idea of price and best times to sell.  I was thinking perhaps the Spring.

I had heard of Charmaine from friends and acquaintances so I decided to meet with her first.  As it turned out Charmaine was the only realtor I needed to talk to. 

We met on a Saturday afternoon.  She walked through the house and the property.  We sat down and I could see “the wheels turning”.  She then said “I think I might have someone who would be interested…can they come by tomorrow morning to take a look”.  I was a little surprised but of course agreed.  The next day the interested party came by and 2 hours later there was an offer on the table and the following day an accepted offer.  So within less than 48 hours of meeting with Charmaine my house was sold. I’m guessing this type of thing does not happen all the time but the fact Charmaine was so “on the ball” speaks for itself.

During the entire process Charmaine was personable, professional and caring.  I would consider her ethics beyond reproach.  All of the things you would hope for in someone handling such a huge decision for you.

I would highly recommend Charmaine for anyone thinking of selling their home.

David Sykes

Seller




Dear Charmaine,

Bob and myself thank you so very much for recently selling our home on Pender Island.  Your knowledge, professionalism, efficiency but above all  your caring made our selling experience effortless. After two attempts with other realty offices we found your style of caring a breath of fresh air. We can testify to the amount of work  you put into marketing our home. The result, SOLD!!!! We wish you success  as you continue to help others in our community.  We highly recommend your company.

Marilynn and Robert Seifert
 Sellers




Our first meeting with Charmaine was an informal chat about what she felt was the current value of our home. She had been highly recommended by friends and neighbours so we thought it wouldn’t hurt to have the discussion. We were undecided about selling and her honest assessment confirmed that we would not get the price we were hoping for.

A year or so later Charmaine called and asked if we were still thinking of selling. She had a client who had been looking at waterfront properties and not seeing anything he liked. Our home was not waterfront but had a lovely ocean view and the house itself had a lot of the features her client was looking for.

We agreed to show the house and things progressed very quickly from there. Charmaine was in a tenuous position of representing both the buyer and the vendor and she handled it exceptionally well. I was highly impressed at her intuitive skills in looking for a creative solution for her buyer. She essentially created a deal where none existed. That’s what I call an outstanding real estate agent.

When it came time to purchase a new home for ourselves Charmaine was again wonderful in her skills at booking viewings and was very familiar with all the properties. I was grateful for her shared knowledge on peculiarities with some listings. She didn’t waste our time showing us places that were inappropriate for our needs.

Throughout all our dealings with Charmaine I was constantly aware of her high standard of ethics. She is well versed in the proprieties of the real estate code of conduct and does not waver. She’s tough when she needs to be yet well respected by her peers. There’s a reason why she’s one of the busiest agents on Pender Island and it’s because she goes the extra mile for each and every client.

Leeanne Mueller

Seller & Buyer



I moved back to Canada from many years overseas, and Charmaine made sure my transition was effortless. She knows Pender extremely well, and could advise me not only on real estate, but settling into the community. Buying on Pender is not a simple process, as you really need to know what you want, and Charmaine put in extra effort to match me with the right property. She found me temporary accommodation, showed me pretty much everything property that was available, had great patience and humour, and gave excellent professional advice. Best of all, she made looking for a home fun.

I’m extremely satisfied with her outstanding customer service and wholeheartedly recommend her (and have already) to anyone thinking of moving to this lovely Gulf Island.

 Steve
 Buyer

I would highly recommend Charmaine as a realtor and/or property manager.  After my father passed and as executor, I had to prepare his Pender home for sale.  Charmaine was indispensable in providing the names of good contractors and coordinating services.  She was particularly responsive to my queries and questions, and provided sound advice.  To supplement the cost of maintaining the property, she sought and screened tenants.  Her counsel on who to rent to was indispensable as she treated our property as if it was her own.  Further, her documentation and statements were second to none and made managing the property very easy.  Finally, in selling our home she was dedicated, knowledgeable and resourceful.  If you want a committed, honest realtor, she is the one.

Blair Heffelfinger, Businessman

Seller/Landlord

Charmaine to the rescue!

After reeling from the shock of opening our assessment notice in January and discovering that although we had just purchased our property a year earlier and done only essential upgrades (septic, electrical and tree work) it had gone up almost a quarter million dollars in 'value'!! We turned to our realtor to find out what on earth was happening in the Pender Island market place that might explain this. Within a matter of hours Charmaine sent us many pages of meticulously laid out data with which to mount an appeal along with the advice that the best assessment of value is a recent sale, especially after a property had been on the market for many months before the purchase. Thankfully we were able to use these numbers to change the appraiser's mind and now have a much more fair and realistic assessment.

We are once again grateful for her caring and diligence, this time long after the sale.

J & B
 Past Buyer

I highly recommend Charmaine Harris and Coastal Life Realty Inc. when purchasing property.  We moved to Pender Island for the peace, serenity and privacy, something our overbuilt previous community could no longer offer.  A year or two after we moved in, we began to see people, including realtors, walking on the adjacent empty lot and peering into our yard and garden. We began to fear that the lot would soon be sold with the potentiality of someone building a house very close to where our garden was, destroying the serenity and privacy we so valued. 

We were quick to contact the owner and make an offer on at least two occasions, but we could never reach an agreement. We felt that possibly other realtors had given them an inflated value of what the property was worth.  Feeling that the negotiations had reached an impasse, I contacted Charmaine.  She was able to quickly bring the other party into agreement with a price we both could live with and she closed the deal.

Charmaine was also wonderful to work with during the entire process.  We really could have not asked for better.  First, she is extremely responsive.  She would always respond very quickly and thoughtfully. Second, everything went so smoothly.  All we had to do was sit back, take care of a few legal details and watch the process unfold.  She also kept us posted on exactly what was happening during the process.  Third, she has an extensive knowledge of the market and the many building regulations and land-use bylaws.  Even after the sale was completed, she continued to offer her assistance in future plans for the property.   I just can't say enough.  Most importantly, Charmaine will tell you the truth and not a story simply to get the listing or the sale. You can't go wrong choosing Charmaine and Coastal Life realty Inc. for your real estate needs.


Marina Nelson, Marina Marketing

Buyer


We needed to find a home to house various off-island tradespeople for a major home renovation project we were undertaking.  Unable to find anything suitable within our price range, Charmaine was able to locate us a lovely six bedroom home within our budget, right on the waterfront, with an enclosed garage for extra storage for our furniture.  Relaxing, sunny summer afternoons were spent on the beach, often watching orcas that would come very close to the shore.  Best of all, the home was located only a couple of blocks away from ours which made the entire renovation process run much more smoothly  and much less stressful. I would not hesitate to contact Charmaine again if I should need a rental property.

Rick Nelson, Active Pass Freight

 
Tenant

In our search for a permanent home in the Gulf Islands, we came upon Charmaine, through one of her listings, and found her to be very knowledgeable about island living and attentive to our needs in particular. She immediately arranged a whirlwind of viewings over the course of two days, that was so well organized, rather than overwhelm us, it really gave us an excellent idea of what, and what not, was suitable for us, almost as if she knew what we wanted more than we did ourselves. She managed to do all this while remaining quietly off to the side while we looked at each home,  observing our reactions and using that information to take us to the next level of decision making.

Once we narrowed our choices down to a few different homes, Charmaine's distinct knowledge of Pender Island became indispensable and we always felt that she was in our corner, every step of the way. In the end, we found the home that best suited us in every way and we simply could not have done it without her guiding hand, expertise, and well timed advice.

For us Charmaine is much more than a realtor, she is a thoughtful, considerate, and yet very professional, ambassador to Pender Island.

Many thanks Charmaine,

Dan & Karen

 Buyers

Having read the comments on Charmaine's testimonial page, she's all that and more. Throughout the lengthy buying process she was unfailingly friendly, cheerful, patient, and professional while answering our questions and addressing each concern as it arose.Through Charmaine, we learned about the amazing network of artisans and tradespeople on the island.  Each recommendation Charmaine has provided  has proven to be friendly helpful and extremely knowledgeable in their field.  She has a wonderful sense of humor and used it to help alleviate our stress. Charmaine is an ardent advocate for Pender Island and took the time and patience to ensure that we found the property of our dreams.  We recommend her unreservedly. Thank you Charmaine for all your help and support. We look forward to continuing our friendship with you for years to come.

Rob and Sam (Arlene) Burnett

 Buyers
We met Charmaine in summer 2012 at one of her open houses. Over the next two years, we came regularly to Pender Island looking for our dream home and property. She showed us dozens of places at our request, but none suited us. She is so patient, knowledgeable, and unflappable. When we eventually found the right place for our retirement home, she was persistent through the lengthy negotiations and provided sound advice. She even came to our previous home in New Westminster and gave us advice on how to update it for a quicker sale! We very much appreciated her expertise in all real estate matters and would recommend her without hesitation for your real estate needs.
Jackie and John
 Buyers

“I purchased a second older huge oceanfront home on Pender Island 5 years ago. Because my own home was several hours away, I needed a very capable and reliable person to carefully screen for suitable renters, to handle maintenance issues at the lowest possible cost, to resolve tenant and neighbor issues for a win-win for all, and lastly to market the home quickly at the highest possible price. I recommend Charmaine Harris without ANY reservation as she did all this and more. She is a very dedicated and professional property manager and realtor.”  

Vancouver Businessman
Seller/Landlord

We were referred to Charmaine by a realtor on Mayne Island where we had a much loved summer house NEAR the beach for 17 years, but where we could not find the perfect piece of WATERFRONT when we decided it was time. From our first meeting we found her to be warm and friendly, organized and industrious. She was sincerely interested in our reactions to the properties we visited, several of them more than once--so add patience to her list of virtues! Charmaine clearly loves Pender Island, knows just about everyone on it and was more than willing to share her extensive knowledge and experience without ever pressuring us.

Where she really went above and beyond, was when we decided to place an offer literally days before leaving the continent on a month long cycling trip. She created a thorough 'to-do' list for us, complete with recommended contacts, making it easy to squeeze this in between work and packing our panniers. We arranged building and septic inspections which she then oversaw. When the reports came in while we were away, there were significant concerns to be addressed. Charmaine immediately responded by getting qualified tradespeople in to review issues and give us estimates for remedial work; then she helped us renegotiate our offer. Despite the discrepancy in time zones and complicated communication given our lack of easy access to technology, she persevered and pulled it altogether for us. We sealed the deal while still far away and that could never have happened but for her resourcefulness, 'can-do' attitude and clear communication. 

On our first visit to this incredible property as its new owners, we found her at the house to greet us, vacuuming the carpets while waiting!! 

Should we EVER make another move on or from Pender Island (Heaven forbid!), we would choose her services again without a moment's hesitation. I would refer any friend or family member to her, confident that they would come away feeling the same.

June & Brad
(Buyers)
 

I first met Charmaine Harris in 2004. We had just purchased a house and needed a tenant for our suite.

I was immediately impressed with Charmaine’s professionalism and delighted with the tenant she found us. Over the next 3 years, Charmaine helped us find good tenants when we needed them.

In 2007 we needed to move off island for work. Charmaine continued to take good care of us with two great tenants at a time.

Then 2008 hit. Whoa.

The ironic thing is, I often call Charmaine Ernest Hemingway because she writes such long and thorough emails and now find myself at a loss to describe Charmaine’s services without using a whole lot of words myself.

We had refinanced our Pender house to buy in Vancouver while having put our Pender place on the market for sale with another Pender Island Real Estate company ....(edited)

At this point we hired Charmaine while she was still with  Remax, despite her office’s lesser presence on Pender.

Best decision we have ever made.

We immediately felt taken care of, that Charmaine was aware of and empathetic with our situation and that if anything could be done to protect and improve our interests, it WAS being done.

During the next 3 years Charmaine helped us negotiate through a terrible sales and even worse rental market by working tirelessly to find tenants and eventually a buyer. We are custom home renovators and had spent many artistic hours sculpting and creating the home that Charmaine was trying to sell in a very slow market. She found the perfect buyer by putting together a difficult trade ( we took the buyers cabin as part payment ). Trades are rare and difficult but Charmaine put this together with great technical, legal, personal and financial skill. Many Realtors would have been very challenged by this deal.

So here we were in late 2011 with a much smaller monkey on our back. Again Charmaine babysat our property, managed to find periodic tenants in a continuing difficult rental market and ultimately found a great buyer in September 2013.

You may ask yourself what’s the big deal.

After all, property mangers find tenants and Realtor’s find buyers.

The big deal is this. For 5 years…five, Charmaine kept the faith, even during the many times I had lost it and she kept that faith to successful effect right to the point of resolving our real estate dilemma.

Any Realtor can sell in a strong market, many Realtor’s can sell in a tough market. Very few Realtor’s can or do maintain such a high level of caring, professionalism, thoroughness and performance in a real estate market from hell.

Thanks Ernest, we literally couldn’t have done this without you.

R & C
 Sellers and Landlords



Charmaine, thank you so so much for all of your incredible help this year. We came to Pender as outsiders not sure if we would find a house that suited us or worried we would be stuck with something we didn’t like. As we were only here seasonally we were worried the slim pickings would be left for us. But you were able to find us an affordable place, that suited us perfectly and supported us along the way with our move to Pender. We learnt a lot about the Pender lifestyle and you taught us some important community guidelines to follow so that we could become a part of the wonderful community here and keep the environment and local businesses in mind . We appreciate so much the continued support in everything from advance notice and reshuffling of showings, even to letting us borrow your weedwhacker! 

We will definitely recommend your services to our friends on the island and our seasonal replacements for next year. Wishing you the very most success and thanking you for everything.

 

Matt and Mercedes

Tenants


Charmaine was a gracious host to Pender. We originally came to see one of her listings, but when we focused on another property, she took time to find out as much as she could about it. We never felt pressured, and she let us move at a pace we were comfortable with, supporting us with knowledge and humour. Her expertise in the bargaining phase was particularly valuable. She was easy to work with and a great communicator. We would recommend her Pender property expertise to anyone.


deWit / Hilperts

Buyers


We would like to take this opportunity to commend Charmaine Harris for the expert service she provided to us in facilitating the purchase of a home we recently bought in Sidney, B.C.

 

Throughout the process of our purchase Charmaine demonstrated the following qualities:


·    She remained professional at all times, always providing the information we needed and making suggestions of how to present the offer.  We truly feel because of her eloquent ability in the wording and presentation of our offer she managed to facilitate the seller to re-consider the terms and accept our offer. 

·    She was very helpful in making suggestions to us to check various details, such as going to City Hall to check on the illegal carport in regards to it having been built without a permit, she also suggested we research with hydro in regards to the heating costs for the past year and there was other helpful advice she provided.

·    She was always available to come to the house when we wanted her to so we could take a look at other details or clarify problems that arose.

·    She spent hours taking us around to view other homes, and always sent us emails with the current listings and house sales.

·    Her energy level throughout the process was very encouraging and managed to keep us enthused and excited to purchase an investment home.

·    She was very resourceful when we asked for suggestions for a building inspector, mortgage broker, and a notary to do the legal documents.


We know Charmaine would be an asset to anyone requiring realty advice and we would certainly use her again if need be in the future.

Tara & Jerry

 Buyers


Charmaine deserves a huge “thank you” for all her work on our behalf. She patiently showed us houses on Pender for over a year before we decided on the perfect one for us.  Since we live off island, she willingly worked around our schedule and oversaw the negotiations, appraisal and home inspection. She effectively communicated with us by phone, email and fax so we never felt out of the loop. Charmaine is a delight to work with and we look forward to enjoying Pender Island as much as she does.

Carole & Steve
Buyers

My family has been looking for a vacation home for a number of years. We discovered Pender Island, and immediately fell in love with the character and scenery of the island. We searched for a real estate agent to help us purchase a home on the island, and we thus came in touch with Charmaine. We are a family with strong beliefs about what we want in a house. Charmaine took the time to listen to each and every one of our concerns and needs. She never rushed us or made us feel as though our questions were silly. Instead, she listened attentively and patiently and using our guidelines, helped us find a number of houses that fit our criteria.
 
Because we live in Alberta, Charmaine’s ability to listen to us and show us houses that contained everything we were looking for saved us useless trips to Pender. When we came to see the houses that she selected for us, we enjoyed each one. As Charmaine showed us the houses, we were very impressed to note that in no way did she push or prod us into buying a house. Instead, she talked to us honestly about each home and considered how each house would uniquely suit our family. In the end, Charmaine helped us find our dream vacation home.
 
After the purchase, Charmaine was still very much in contact with us. She was attentive to our concerns and questions about island life. Because she knew that we were Albertan city dwellers, she advised us as to what utilities and services we would need to take care of ourselves. Moreover, she provided us with contacts that made our acquisition of these services quick and easy. Thanks to her diligent care and her wealth of information, our first arrival to our Pender home was free of any unpleasant surprises in the form of penalty payments or missing utilities in the house.
 

Charmaine is a warm, attentive women who is able to bring the perfect home to each buyer. She is honest and candid in discussing potential houses and extremely knowledgeable about all the amenities, services and natural attractions in the island. We’re so lucky to have met and worked with Charmaine, but most of all we are glad to be able to call her our friend. 

Buyers



Charmaine Harris was very helpful with our quest for property on Pender.  Whether collecting us at Otter Bay, driving us all over the island to visit various properties, gathering supporting documentation or just being a sounding board for our thoughts we found Charmaine to be flexible, friendly and efficient.  As our search criteria changed over time Charmaine was happy to rethink the properties to show us and spent numerous hours on our behalf taking photos and videos of the prospective properties so we could review them from afar.  The property we purchased through Charmaine suits us perfectly.

Deb & Graham

 Buyers
MLS® property information is provided under copyright© by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board and Victoria Real Estate Board. The information is from sources deemed reliable, but should not be relied upon without independent verification.