According to poet John Donne, no man is an island. But according to Vancouver realtor Mark Lester, many people would still like to have one to call their own.

Lester knows, because he specializes in selling private islands off the B.C. coast.

And if you do a little digging on the Internet, you'll also find other realtors who are listing some of the hundreds of islands around Vancouver and Victoria, in the Gulf and San Juan Islands between Vancouver and Victoria, near the Sunshine Coast, off the northern tip of Vancouver Island and around Prince Rupert.

"They're all very magical properties in their own right - it's just a matter of whether the island speaks to you," says Lester.

Photo courtesy of Colliers International
Norway Island sold for between $3 million and $4 million.

Lester, a vice-president in Colliers International's Vancouver office in charge of its unique properties marketing group, has sold such getaways as Brethour Island, a 47-acre spread near Saanich, which Timothy Boyle, president of Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear purchased for $6.5 million; Norway Island, a 30-acre land mass in the Gulf Islands, for somewhere between $3 million and $4 million; and Wolf Island, near Sooke, just west of Victoria, which went for just under $1 million, also purchased by Americans.

He says a realtor needs to understand what each island is about and which features make it special, and be aware of factors such as waterfront access and drinking-water supply.

When it comes to a sale, an island is more than just an island. Just as a house sale has throw-ins, an island does, too.

But instead of amenities such as a stove and fridge, island buyers may get a boat and related equipment, because everything must be brought in from somewhere else.

"It's not like you can go to the corner store," Lester points out. "Everything is off-island. At the same time, you get your own private kingdom. You've got a moat all around you."

Privacy - rather than resort or housing development - is often the buyer's motivation, he says.

"Knowing that island will be your own, knowing that beach will be private ... I think that's a big part of the attraction."

The less distance a prospective buyer has to travel to an island, the more likely it is to sell, he believes. Hence, he does not necessarily agree with one realtor's prediction that the Haida Gwaii, or Queen Charlottes, will become the next island real estate hotspot.

First Nations who inhabit many island regions of B.C. are not keen on development of islands and some islands are subject to long-awaited treaty negotiations.

Lester says realtors have to be aware of issues affecting each island - and make them known before a deal is done - and respect the rights of First Nations and other groups.

In the case of Wolf Island, Lester had to arrange an archaeological assessment that revealed a traditional native burial ground more than 1,000 years old in one area, which had to be protected against intrusion.

Just as homesteaders laid claim to property on the Prairies, homesteaders in B.C. staked islands for themselves and property titles passed through to the hands of future generations.

"Private islands have typically been private for many years," says Lester.

Most buyers prefer anonymity, but reported B.C. island owners include a brother of Vancouver Canucks co-owner John McCaw as well as comedian Robin Williams.

The federal and provincial governments have also become active players over the last decade, converting some private islands to public parks.

Peter Birrell, of North Vancouver-based ReMax outlet Crest Realty, says it's becoming increasingly difficult to work island real estate deals because vendors keep raising their prices.

"All these recreational properties are just getting out of the reach of a lot of people," says Birrell, who began selling houses in 1976 and later switched to selling bed and breakfasts, country inns and islands.

He and other realtors accuse the Islands Trust, an agency that governs 13 large islands and 450 small islands waters between the B.C. mainland and southern Vancouver Island, including Howe Sound, of trying to limit development by only allowing construction on a small number of lots on each island.

"With the Islands Trust, their mandate is not to have it developed," says Birrell.

"They're getting more and more militant."

He says it's also more difficult - and more expensive - to get homes built on private islands because crews have to be brought in by boat, and construction is often delayed because of bad weather in winter, tide levels which influence travel schedules and pending winds or storms.

Rich Osborne, president of New Westminster-based LandQuest Realty Corp., started selling islands in the Queen Charlottes in 1971 when he was still based in his native Prince Rupert. He predicts more private B.C. islands will be purchased by buyers seeking retreats away from natural disasters and other problems.

British Columbians own 80 per cent of the islands, he estimates, while Americans make up the next highest percentage. Asians are also entering the market while people from Australia and other countries have also made purchases. Prices range from $100,000 to $30 million.

Unlike Birrell, Osborne believes "it's actually pretty easy" to buy and sell an island. "It's just a matter of finding one you like."

Timber harvesting was once a major attraction for prospective buyers, but Osborne now recommends owners keep trees standing because they produce a higher re-sale value that exceeds logging profits.

John Gauld, Islands Trust regional planning manager for Salt Spring, Thetis and the Executive Islands, says buying an island is no different than buying any other property.

Prospective owners must check into rules concerning water access, sewage and hydro and other issues before they buy.

"We get a lot of inquiries from people doing due diligence before they buy," says Gauld, who encourages people to contact the Islands Trust if they have any questions about island purchases.

Neil Wark, owner of Delta-based Re/Max Wark Realty, who has been selling islands for 37 years, predicts island prices will keep going up.

Waterfront properties traditionally bring the best return, he adds, and buyers will be able to double their investment or find the privacy they desire.

Wark's recent sales have included Oyster Island on the Sunshine Coast, which went for $795,000 last month; Jenkins Island across from Nanaimo, which sold to a Hong Kong buyer for $2.5 million; and Helford Island, an 11-acre parcel of land off the Sunshine Coast that was purchased by an American.

Web Watch: www.islandstrust.bc.ca

www.colliersmn.com (Monte Stewart can be reached at monte@businessedge.ca)