Vancouver Real Estate

  Day 2 of showings and the line up grows.  Offers likely not being accepted for another 1-3 weeks when the Disclosure Statement is finalized.  By then, you won't have any chance of buying, so best to get inside today.     Call me to register today.   604.307.9448 [you can also text me and enter Brooklynn]

Below is some additional information on the project.   This is one many great projects to come in this area and may be the first of the new, low rise condos.  There are many interesting features of owning one of these fine homes including the unique community based, internal courtyard.     "I have told many people about the new community master plan for major redevelopment here and I'm so excited to see it coming to life.…

There is no doubt that the purchase of a home is a huge investment, for most people it is the biggest investment they will ever make.  But there are many costs that are not always apparent when purchasing a home, that need to be considered. 

When working with a Buyer’s Agent, early in the conversation should be a review of potential charges and costs.  Some of the possible charges include (but are not limited to).

The deposit is a significant cost for the purchase of residential property.  The higher the deposit, usually the lower the interest rate and the better the terms possible for the mortgage or financing. Most traditional lenders want a deposit of 10%, some will work with 5% and others will require 20% of the purchase price.  In some cases,

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How often does somebody stop and ask you for directions to a main attraction, only to leave you walking away with the realization that you know very well where it is, but have never been there yourself? There’s always time to go see it, right? After all, you live here! Well, there's no time like the present, Vancouver! Build yourself a mini vacation this weekend, grab a loved one, and check out these must-see attractions that make Vancouver the city it's known as today.

Nurture Your Love of Nature

While there are so many amazing trails to hike around the North Shore, one attraction that is often overlooked is the Capilano Suspension Bridge. While it's known for the swinging bridge that stretches 450 feet across the Capilano River Canyon, there's

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Vancouver is more than just a great place to live -- it's a fantastic place to stay in shape with mountain and ocean views.

This year’s Vancouver Sun Run is almost here!  The beloved event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 21, 2013.  The Vancouver Sun Run is Canada’s largest 10K road race – the 2012 race boasted an impressive 48,904 registered participants. 

The annual event was established in 1985 with the goal of promoting health and encouraging an active lifestyle. 

With this year’s early spring and in the spirit of The Vancouver Sun Run’s mission, now is the ideal time to take full advantage of the countless lively outdoor activities the city of Vancouver has to offer. 

A great way to stay active is to become a frequent visitor of

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Vancouver holds the honorable title of being one of the world’s most walkable cities around the globe, according to the City of Vancouver official website. But despite the city’s unique and admirable quality, many children living in Vancouver are forgoing their pedestrian potential in favor of a less active mode of transportation. 

According to a recent article published in the Vancouver Sun, there is an increase in the number of children utilizing the car as their primary form of transportation.  Kids who travel by car instead of by foot – or similarly active means such as cycling, skateboarding or rollerblading – are at an increased risk of suffering the negative effects of not getting an adequate amount of daily physical activity. 

Jumpin' Math: 

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The decision to buy a house is a little like the decision to have a baby -- there's no such thing as the perfect time.  But it helps to make an informed decision, to weigh need against desire and facts against speculation.

So, if you're considering buying Vancouver real estate  in 2013, here are 6 things to think about:

1. 1.    Home Sale Prices

Home prices in the Vancouver area declined 2.3 percent over the course of the past year, according to the MSL Home Price Index, as reported by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV).  The average price of a home in Greater Vancouver was $590,800 in December.  This is a decline of 5.8 percent from the peak reached in May when the average selling price was $625,100.

Averages and fluctuations in

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Nothing is as reliable as the return of the cold weather and the high cost of heating your home as the mercury level drops.  Weather experts are predicting this will be especially cold, with temperatures below normal and precipitation levels above normal.

There are some simple and inexpensive solutions to improving your odds in the war against the rising costs of heating your home for the winter months.  Some of the winterizing improvements can be done in a quick weekend project others are even simpler. 

Winterizing is about controlling the air loss and improving the efficiency of heating the area.  Air loss is one of the major culprits in heating costs.  Check doors and windows for excess air loss.  This is an easy fix with caulking, threshold

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The British Columbia Real Estate Association forecasts nearly 78,000 real estate transactions will take place in 2011.  Each transaction should utilize the home inspection process.  For sellers, this is often seen as a leverage tool for the buyer to try to obtain credits for identified problems.  But there is evidence that the home inspection can be more beneficial for the seller than the buyer. 

 

In the case where the buyer has fallen in love with the property, has been approved for funding contingent upon the inspection; the devastation of a poor finding can drive the buyers to a new location or they will use the finding to drive the price into the ground recouping credits for the necessary repairs or improvements. 

 

The proactive seller

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For years it has been well regarded that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes but this is a new market and the rules are shifting. There is probably not a time in the conceivable future that a kitchen or bathroom remodel is not going to return most of what is invested in it, nor will there be a similar time when that isn’t the case that an outdated kitchen or bath will put off a potential buyer. 

1.      Get them to the door:  without curb appeal there is little chance that the buyer will ever get out of their car.  Scruffy, wild and unkempt landscapes are a trigger that the house may also be in disrepair.  Buyers want houses that are loved, cared for and maintained.  This starts with the daisies at the door, the length of the grass and the tasteful

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Condos are sold on the specific attraction of the three major demographics in that market: 

• Young professionals looking for short commutes
• Empty nesters looking to downsize
• Investors looking for rental property as an investment

Many real estate experts caution that in none of these cases is the condo a good investment, and many would go further to say that there is no time that a condo would fare better than a single home investment. 

The problems in condo investment come from the very “no maintenance” sales pitch that may have lured a buyer in the first place.  The ambitious worker, who has little time for lawn care may see the location, often close to the working districts and city centers with shops and restaurants as

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