Salt Spring home auction called off, unique listing still on market

A unique Salt Spring Island property that was to be sold by auction this week remains on the market.

It is unclear why the Japanese-style house, known as Brightwoods, was not sold, but according to its listing real estate agent, it remains available for sale.

Agent Liane Read of Sea to Sky Premier Properties said she had nothing to do with the auction, which was organized by New York-based Concierge Auctions, but said she understood it had been cancelled.

“I have no idea why,” Read said. She has continued to do her job of marketing the property in more traditional fashion. “I still get calls. It’s an amazing place, it really is.”

The house had been listed for sale at $5.885 million and has been on the market for years.

Last month, Concierge announced it would sell to the highest bidder through an online auction Aug. 15. There was no reserve price, and Concierge vowed it would sell to the top bid.

Calls and email to Concierge’s Ontario-based project sales manager, Chris Oneill, were not returned Wednesday. The public relations firm working for Concierge would only say the property did not sell at auction and is available for offers.

Oneill said last week Concierge’s advantage in selling was a database of more than 400,000 high net-worth buyers and real estate agents that it intended to use to generate interest. It appears that didn’t work.

One of the strikes against the property may be its design and furnishings — it is very much a Japanese home. The seven-acre oceanfront property features seven bedrooms and three bathrooms in 5,870 square feet, a private beach, open living spaces, minimalist interior styling and Asian-style furnishings including tatami mats, shoji screens and chabudai tables. There is also a veranda, pond, secluded gazebo and walking trails.

Read said she has learned that for every property there is the right buyer, and she remains confident that will happen.

“Remember this is a secondary home market, therefore people have to come here, they have to decide they love Salt Spring and then they get real about the house.”