met on one of his first visits to the country. “He was really skilled at real estate, and after meeting in 1999 we kept up the friendship over the years,” Steffen recalls. “When I decided to make this my main source of income, that’s when we got together and decided to form a company together. We went in together on a 50-50 basis because we complemented and trusted each other.” “In a small area like Nova Scotia, it’s pretty important to have a trusted business partner that’s local – and Richard is exactly that.” Since forming Water and View Estates, Richard and Steffen have developed properties at a very steady pace. To date, Steffen estimates they have developed over 200 properties, typically within developments comprising between four and 16 lots. Their process has typically involved purchasing larger properties, building roads, installing electricity and phone lines, and then surveying and subdividing them into unique waterfront and water view lots. In most cases, Water and View Estates’ clients are homeowners looking for a vacation home, and they can come from all over Canada, the United States, and Europe. Steffen believes they primarily choose Water and View Estates due to “word of mouth and a good reputation.” “Our customers tend to be pretty satisfied with the work we do and with the properties they buy,” he says. “They don’t feel like they’ve been overpaying, they don’t feel like they were provided with bad context or anything like that. I think that’s AUGUST 2024
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